Strongest Stars
by vrangr
Summary: Jyn Erso believed more in making choices than taking chances. Surviving the Battle of Scarif forces her to find the balance between the two, especially when she's left with an imperial pilot who is struggling to rediscover his purpose in life, and a severely injured rebel captain whose moral compass has been hardened by war. Exploratory CassianxJyn.
1. Scarif

**A/N:** It's great to be back! I've literally served years of writer's block and guess what cured it. Almost ;) since I'm pretty rusty, please feel free to leave a Review later on. Bouncing questions and ideas would be fun, too.

This is my first Star Wars fic ever in my life so I can only hope I'm actually ready to dive in. Almost anything is possible in the Star Wars universe given all the lore and other theories going around, but I'll likely keep this more or less canon.

Right then! On with the show.

* * *

Bodhi Rook must've been completely out of his mind when he made that choice to follow Jyn Erso.

"COVER HIM!"

He hears their cries as soon as he makes the mad dash for the cargo hold, communications cable in tow. Blasts from imperial troopers barely miss his head, instead hitting…other targets.

He falls to his knees by the communications panel and grabs the headset.

"This is Rogue One, calling any Alliance ships that can hear me!"

He pauses and grits his teeth before shoving his goggles off his head.

"This is Rogue One! Come in, over!"

Bodhi almost jumps when the system crackles, "This is Admiral Raddus, Rogue One. We hear you!"

Bodhi breaks into a smile at the sound of the admiral's response, "We have the plans—" he stammers, "They found the Death Star plans! They have to transmit them from the communications tower. You _have_ to take down the shield gate. It's the only way we're going to get them through."

It was chaos and Bodhi's mind was racing with fresh memories. He had listened carefully to Jyn's words at the control room on the rebel base. With nothing but face and a fantastic story she couldn't prove, Jyn Erso, one and only daughter of his late commanding officer Galen Erso, stood steadfast in the presence of a senator, talking about hope and choices and a battle plan that was doomed to fail. But it was a plan nonetheless, and one that was better than outright giving up on everything that the Rebellion stood for. Bodhi had felt it in his heart. If choosing to follow Jyn was the only way he could finally make things right by himself, then he could live—or die—with that choice.

He was only praying now that the choice would be all worth it despite the costs.

"Standby, Rogue One. We're on it!" The admiral's voice brings Bodhi out of his own head and he replaces the headset. "This is for you, Galen."

Just then, he sees a shore trooper twist a detonator and prepare to throw it directly at him. Bodhi quickly grabs a blaster case that had fallen earlier after the jump and without second thought, throws it at the oncoming detonator.

 _..2..1._

The detonator lands only meters away from the shuttle and the blast throws Bodhi backwards onto the steel floor of the cargo hold. The shockwave that follows sends a tremor through the shuttle. He struggles to get up, ears ringing, vision blurred and lungs beaten out of breath. His face goes white as soon as he sees the destruction outside. All the new comrades he had made barely hours ago, along with all the troopers within blast radius, _dead._

Bodhi manages to stumble to the shuttle doors and he realizes he's trembling. _What have I..._ He had just sealed the fate of no more than five men of the Alliance.

"I can't stay here," he says to himself.

 _You're our_ only _way out of here._

Bodhi snaps his attention back to the comlink strapped to his collar. "Captain! Cassian, can you hear me?"

No response.

"Cassian!" he tries again, "Jyn! Kay, can anyone hear me?"

His heart was pounding. It was either he was alone in this fight already, or he could still make it in time to find the last of their team and extract them, if the Force willed it. He quickly unplugs the cable from the communications panel and hurries to the upper deck.

* * *

 _Reset antenna alignment. Reset antenna alignment. Reset antenna alignment._

Jyn set her jaw and looked to see the console at the end of the platform. She never doubted the implications of seeing the mission through and through, but she hated how real it had become. She had just lost Cassian in the data tower.

She lost him because the damned fool was trying to _protect_ her.

Jyn fights off the haunting images of Cassian's body falling through metal beams and pulls out her blaster, making her way determinedly for the console. Her bad leg was weighing her down like a ton. Craning her neck, she squints her eyes against the glare of the sun and begins to realign the satellite dish.

 _Ready to transmit._

The sudden familiar wail of a TIE engine tears Jyn's attention from the satellite and onto an oncoming TIE striker, its wings folded in attack position. It was firing right at her. She dodges the bright green blasts and heads back for the satellite dish when two blasts send the platform rapidly on a downward bend. Jyn clutches the crevices of the platform just as her legs dangle precariously over the beach.

 _I can't die here!_ She gasps and looks down to see her blaster fall to the fighting on the ground. She has no weapons on her now. _I can't die here!_

She pulls her dead weight back onto the creaking platform, clawing her way up, her chest heaving as her bones scrape against the cold metal beams. _I…will not…die here!_ She grips the railings to bring herself to her feet and practically _drags_ her leg as she continues towards the satellite dish's base-

" _Who_ are you?"

Jyn straightens up and she is suddenly face-to-face with a red-faced Krennic. His blaster is aimed right at her head.

She almost smiles.

"You know who I am." She wanted her cool, calm voice to send chills down his spine. "I'm Jyn Erso, daughter of Galen and Lyra. You've lost."

Krennic growled, "Oh, I _have,_ have I?"

"My father's revenge," Jyn replied. "He built a flaw in the Death Star, He put a fuse in the middle of your machine, and I've just told the entire galaxy how to light it."

That was a lie. For now.

She doesn't miss it. Krennic's eyes twitches in momentary doubt. "The shield is _up,"_ he manages. "Your signal will never reach the rebel base. All your ships in here will be destroyed; I lose _nothing_ but time. _You,_ on the other hand, _die_ with the Rebellion."

She clenches her fists as Krennic spits out the last word, but before either of them can move, a blast hits Krennic at the back and burns through his chest. The white-clad imperial dog falls to his knees and forward on his arms. Jyn's eyes widen as she looks up to find the shooter.

 _Cassian!_

He nods and keeps his blaster up at Krennic. Jyn nods back and wastes no more time to finally initiate the transmission. The screen flashes the upload sequence.

 _Transmitting. Transmitting._

Jyn lets out a breath and gets to Cassian. She places her hands on his back and chest, careful not to apply pressure on his ribs. She turns to take one last look at the director's lifeless form, the scoundrel who had her mother shot, had her father enslaved.

She almost screams as she lunges for the body, unthinking. Cassian is quick to hold her back, "Hey, Leave it!" he almost barks it like an order, but his tone quickly softens, "Leave it. That's it…that's it."

…she concedes.

"Let's go," Cassian gasps.

The last of the Blue Squadron flies overhead, fighting off imperial strikers, buying them more but little time. The sound of ships as they crash on the beach and in the water is like a punch in her gut. She feels Cassian's weight against her grow heavy. They could still count their team before this madness started. _We were 17 strong_. Jyn pulls Cassian's good arm over her shoulders and leads him to the elevator, just as she notices the Death Star emerging on the skyline.

They will not make it out alive this time. Jyn shuts the elevator doors and they begin their descent to the base of the tower.

Jyn leans against the wall of the elevator and looks up at Cassian. She finds him looking back at her, his eyes meaningful but clouding over with exhaustion. "Do you think…anybody is listening?"

Jyn manages a small smile and she brings a hand up to his shoulder. "I do," she says, sounding more confident than she felt. "Someone's out there." She watches as Cassian's head starts to droop to the side and she realizes he is struggling to keep his bearings.

Their confines are dim and brief flashes of daylight from outside are only enough to illuminate their faces seconds at a time. Cassian manages a small smile despite the circumstances. He would never have forgiven himself had he stayed on Yavin 4. He could live in this moment, even if it were his last. He could find peace. He could find rest. He feels the warmth of Jyn's hand on his face and takes strength from it. Here they were, both battle-worn and bloodied, two unlikely comrades on a mission accomplished.

 _And nothing more._

He feels a weight in his chest as he looks at the expectant grey eyes quietly asking questions, searching him intently for answers.

"Jyn," Cassian says, barely over a whisper. The effort of speaking is emphasized by the way he clutches his side. "Your father would have been proud of you."

Jyn's face crumples, but she fights what should have come next. Lost for words, she can only gently stroke Cassian's cheek.

The elevator stops and the doors open. Jyn leads Cassian outside and the glare of the sun is not enough to distract them from the sight of the bodies of rebel soldiers and imperial troopers scattered all over the citadel's base. Some faces Jyn could barely recognize from her brief time at the rebel base, others she could no longer make out from their injuries. She dared not ask if Cassian recognized any of them as his friends…

They barely start to make their way to the beach when the ground starts to rumble. Jyn's face goes pale. Has the Death Star struck?

"Jyn! Look!"

Jyn snaps her attention to follow Cassian's gaze. A familiar imperial shuttle is lowering itself a few paces before them, its cargo hatch opening to reveal an empty dark interior. For a moment, they are breathless, but Bodhi suddenly appears at the hold and he is flailing his arms, yelling, eyes wide.

"LET'S GO! _THE WEAPON IS CHARGING!"_

Jyn grips Cassian closer to her side and they scramble for the cargo hold, fresh adrenaline pumping through their veins. She suddenly hears the Death Star blast off the satellite dish right above them. She does a double take. _No! Did the plans make it?_

"Jyn, come on!" Cassian grabs her shirt and urges her into the shuttle.

The cargo doors close shut before she can take another look.

"Bodhi!" Cassian yells and Jyn suddenly has no idea how he is quickly making his way to the upper deck.

"Hurry, Bodhi! Calculate a jump to the nearest hyperroute!"

"I'm not sure we'll make it!"

" _Just do it!"_

Jyn hurriedly joins the men on the upper deck. Cassian is barely holding up in the co-pilot's seat running calculations in the system. "Full power, Bodhi! Get us to orbit!" He says through gritted teeth.

Jyn presses her hands against the cockpit windows. The ominous cloud of destruction was gaining speed behind them, taking the ocean and sands with it. This was all too familiar, and this time, she had every reason to be afraid.

Bodhi was piloting the shuttle away from the cloud on full throttle, beads of sweat forming on his brow. Smaller imperial fighters were zipping past.

"Let's go!"

Cassian's hoarse voice brings Jyn back to her wits. She runs to his side and leans behind his seat, her heart pounding, "Where to?"

"The Corellian Run. It's the nearest hyperroute to Scarif. We will stay on it until we can figure out our next destination."

"Captain, I'm not sure if this ship can still sustain—"

" _Not now, Bodhi!"_ Cassian snapped. The roar of the cloud behind them was threateningly closer and they could see palm trees and imperial hangars beneath them crumbling from the quake, being swallowed by the earth. "Trust me," Cassian glared into Bodhi's eyes, "Punch it."

With one hand, Jyn grips the back of Cassian's seat. Her other hand clutches her necklace. The shuttle tilts upward as Bodhi engages the jump to hyperspace and the clear blue sky quickly warps into a shocking electric blue. The shuttle makes the jump and suddenly nothing but the hum of the engine can be heard.

Scarif is behind them.

* * *

 **A/N:** Thanks for reading this far! Don't forget to leave a Review if you have the time. Any form of feedback is a gift. I hope to see you here next time. Till then, may the Force be with you :)


	2. Takodana

**A/N:** Hi, everyone! Thank you for all your encouraging feedback. It was a lot easier than I thought to get this chapter going and I hope you continue to find reason to stay on board ;)

Enjoy!

* * *

There was a heavy silence in the cockpit as all three passengers seemed to have the same things in mind. Their entire squad was gone. Sefla, Rostok, Kappehi, Chirrut and Baze, Melshi… _everyone_ was gone.

'Good luck, little sister.' _Jyn could still feel the firm grip Baze gave her on her shoulders, his smile as he called her his little sister, and the smile that she returned as it sank in that she was now part of a family._

Jyn clenched her fists as she thought about whether or not she should still be alive. Her father was accountable for that Death Star. It was only right that—

"Don't go there, Jyn."

Jyn looks at Cassian, "What?"

"I know what you're thinking," his voice is low and his words slurry. "Don't go there."

"Our team is dead," she says dryly.

Bodhi remains silent but he raises his head and watches his two comrades. He sees Jyn make a step to face Cassian more squarely. "Our team is _dead_ because of my father's invention. They didn't deserve to die. _We_ don't deserve-"

"We did our job and transmitted those plans to the rebels."

"What if the plans never made it through?"

"Then we have to make certain it does later."

"Scarif has been _destroyed,_ Cassian!" her voice starts to rise, "You _saw_ that cloud back there. You saw what it did to Jedha! There's _no way_ we can salvage those plans if they never made it to the rebels, and 'make certain later!'"

Up until that moment, Cassian was working over the control panel, but he was now looking up at Jyn the same way he did when they were on a hyperroute to Eadu on his U-Wing, with a hard expression and a thin line on his mouth.

"Given that, would you rather be dead?"

Jyn steps back slightly.

"Do you really think that everyone else who died back there would rather we lost hope _now, of all times_ , and not even try to find a way to destroy the Death Star like _your father_ promised we could?" Cassian glances at Bodhi who avoids his eyes and finds business to do on the control panel. He looks back at Jyn, "This is hard for all of us," he says. "Please don't think that I don't know what it's like to lose my men on a mission."

Jyn watches Cassian's face soften again.

"I'm sorry that we lost our team, Jyn." Cassian starts to run another calculation in the system, "Now, let's work on making sure they did not die for nothing."

The cockpit went silent again. Jyn sees Bodhi from the corner of her eye. The defector pilot-turned-rebel was punching sequence after sequence on a keypad, running calculations to find the safest route through the Corellian Run.

"Bodhi."

Bodhi jumps slightly, hardly expecting the address. He stops running sequences as he looks up at Jyn, eyes wide, shoulders hunched. "Yes?"

"Thank you," Jyn says haltingly. "Thank you for saving us."

Bodhi lets a small smile on his lips and nods. "It wasn't easy. I mean…" he looks to see Cassian whose expression was blank. "I had to try. Cassian's right." He looks back to Jyn and straightens up, "The work isn't done. If those plans haven't made it to Yavin, we'll find another way, Jyn. We'll take the next chance, and the next—on and on—like you said."

Jyn lets out a breath and turns to Cassian again. He was slumped in his seat, staring at the screens in front of him. He was still clutching his side.

"You're hurt," she says flatly. "Bodhi, where are the medical supplies on this ship?"

"On this deck," came the reply. "In the supplies storage in the back. To your left."

Cassian doesn't say anything when Jyn makes her way to the storage. She returns to find Bodhi back at the controls, his brow furrowed.

"What's wrong?"

"The calculations to Yavin 4 are failing."

"What does that mean?"

"It means that traffic on that course is too heavy because of obstacles and other ships in the way," Cassian interjects, "or the route…is not passable."

Jyn sets the medical kit on the floor beside Cassian. "I don't like the implications of any of those."

"Neither do I," Cassian replies. "We'll have to find another place to find sanctuary. Bodhi, what other territories on the Outer Rim can house a Zeta-class cargo shuttle with minimal detection?"

"You intend to land in imperial territory…" Bodhi's voice was almost a whisper. Jyn looked up at him as she rummaged for a big enough bandage to wrap around a blast wound.

"Are we limited to the Outer Rim?" she turns to see Cassian watching her with questioning eyes. "How much power do we have left? Perhaps we don't need to stay within the Outer Rim and we can make it out somewhere else; look for friendlier territories. Alliances."

Cassian shakes his head. Jyn isn't sure if he does so just because he disagrees. She's now holding a bottle of anesthetic in one hand and a large bandage in the other when she murmurs, "Pull up your shirt. Let me see how bad it is."

Reluctantly, Cassian removes his hand from his side and looks at Jyn. She seems unfazed as she helps him pull up his shirt to reveal his skin, heavily blistered and charred with pockets of blood right where the blast grazed over. "Bodhi," Jyn says over her shoulder. "It'd be best to treat this with running water first. Is there any left on this ship?"

"I'm…I'm not sure," Bodhi swallows. "These ships are supposedly restocked after every inspection."

"I'll check the supplies again. Keep looking for a safe territory."

Jyn runs back to the storage and sees she's out of luck.

"Might want to check the cargo hold below," Bodhi calls from the control panel. "One of the men might've brought a pack with water."

"Thanks, Bodhi." Jyn heads down, leaving the two men at the controls.

Cassian leans back in his seat and closes his eyes. He feels Bodhi's eyes on him, "What is it?"

"Just that I don't think sleeping is a good idea for you right now…"

Cassian looks at Bodhi who makes no effort to hide the concern in his voice. "You don't happen to have a concussion, do you?"

"I may have bumped my head on something," Cassian grumbles.

"All the more reason you should stay conscious until we can get you better medical assistance."

By now Jyn is back at Cassian's side setting down a pack and a water canister, "Seems this is the only water we have on board so we'll have to be careful," she says. "Can you turn on your other side?"

Cassian's jaw goes stiff, "I may…need some help."

Jyn straightens up, "What do you mean?"

"I can barely move…"

She suddenly recalls the way Cassian fell against two beams before he landed on a steel platform. "I'll move you just a little so all the water runs on your wound," she says quietly.

Cassian nods and holds his breath as Jyn helps him to turn. He grits his teeth as she begins to pour water down his side. "Well, Captain," she says in an effort to make light, "I'd look forward to more of this sort of compliance."

Despite the pain Cassian manages to shoot her a look. He's surprised to find Jyn smiling, however small. "Thank you," he mutters. Jyn continues to work quietly, applying the anesthetic as soon as the water runs out. She's in the middle of winding the bandage around Cassian's body when Bodhi calls from over the control panel.

"We have some options," he says, watching the screen run a list of destinations. "Some territories are farther than I thought. We don't have to stay within the Outer Rim. We'll have more than enough power to take us up to the Mid Rim, but likely not enough to get us back to Yavin 4."

Jyn hesitates to ask. She's never piloted a ship before, "How does that work?"

"The hyperroutes are just, like…main expressways. They can take us anywhere but…the exits, that's where it gets complicated. Factor in the side streets and alternate routes, even traffic, and we might actually get farther faster than if we try to go somewhere nearer."

Jyn finishes dressing Cassian's wound and helps him back into his original position. She walks over to Bodhi and looks over his shoulder to see the list on the screen. "What are our options?"

 _Alderaan, Atollon, Bespin, D'Qar, Dantooine, Dathomir, Iridonia, Kashyyk—_ "Know any Wookies?"

Bodhi shakes his head.

 _Kessel, Lah'mu…_ Jyn hesitates. _Lothal, Malastare, Mygeeto, Naboo, Ord Mantell, Rishi—_ "Definitely not there," Bodhi chimes. "Odd things happening."

"Odd things happening everywhere," Jyn supplies.

 _Ruusan, Ryloth_ —"Here." Jyn places a finger on the screen, as if to mark her decision final.

 _"Takodana?"_ Bodhi read out loud.

"Yes," Jyn's mind races. She ran the list through her head again. Arriving in the likes of Alderaan, Bespin and Mygeeto would attract too much attention, and she had no allies there, at least none that she knew were still alive. Atollon and Dantooine were supposed to be rebel bases but she knew enough that there was too much movement recently to be sure that those bases were still running, if they had not been overtaken or deserted yet.

"How fast can we get to Takodana?"

Bodhi ran the destination through the system, "I'll have it in a moment, but are you sure? Takodana is in the Mid Rim."

"You said so yourself that we might still get there more efficiently if the routes are open."

"Yes, I did," Bodhi looks at her. "I also said that once we land we won't be able to take off again. Are you sure we don't want to go to Dantooine instead?"

"Dantooine is abandoned."

Jyn and Bodhi look to see Cassian shift slightly in his seat, grimacing at the effort. "Dantooine used to be a rebel base, but it's been abandoned," he says again. "I trust Jyn's judgment. We might find peace on Dantooine but the rebels likely wiped out any rations there. We wouldn't be able to get out."

Jyn sees Cassian's chest rise and fall heavily with every breath. She motions for him to stay quiet. "I know someone on Takodana," she says in an attempt to provide some reassurance as she turns back to Bodhi. "Get us there if the ship can make it."

Bodhi looked back at the screen and nodded. "We will," he said. "I can set the location now. We'll get there in about 5 hours and 45 minutes standard time. Upon arrival we'll have used about 30% of our current power, leaving us with no less than 10% in the ion drives upon landing." He pauses and looks at Jyn, whose only response was to raise her eyebrows.

"Right then," he said and set the location on the control panel. "To Takodana."

Jyn starts to pick up the medical supplies next to Cassian when she feels his hand brush on her shoulder. She looks up at him and takes his hand, but as soon she does she frowns. His temperature had risen. "Cassian—"

"In my right cargo pocket. The one with the zipper," he says.

Jyn looks for the pocket and pulls out a black metal box with bolts and a particular looking port. She raises an eyebrow as she weighs the box in her hand, realizing it could be two pounds at _least_. "What is this?" she looks to find Cassian's ashen expression. His eyes meet hers. For a moment, she's confused.

And then she understands.

"Is this…"

"Kay."

Jyn holds the box closer to her chest with one hand and reaches for Cassian's shoulder with the other. Her voice is soft. "Cassian," she starts, "He isn't built that way."

Seconds pass without a word, Cassian's eyes looking more distant. "I have to try," he finally says.

But Jyn had spent enough time with computers as well, under the guidance of Saw Gerrera's militia and his own technicians. The chances of recreating Kay-Tu's unique personality was null. She only knew that in his effort to program an ally, Cassian Andor had actually created a friend, and not just to him but to many other on the base of Yavin 4. Kay-Tu was a droid that died on Scarif, and Jyn was not about to reiterate that. She gives Cassian's shoulder a squeeze before placing the box in the pack, "I'll take care of him first, then," she says as she zips the pack closed. "Get some rest."

"And get something for your leg," Cassian returns, his smile showing only in his eyes.

* * *

 **A/N:** Let me know what you guys think! See you in the next chapter.


	3. Pirate Queen

**A/N:** Hi again! It's been really heartwarming reading all your reviews and getting notifications about alerts turned on for this story. Thanks for helping me believe in myself again! I'm really excited to know how you guys find this chapter, and I'd especially like to give credit to the Rogue One Visual Guide and the incredible community at Wookieepedia for supplementing this chapter a huge deal!

Enjoy!

* * *

Bodhi was sitting quietly at the main controls, occasionally glancing at Cassian and Jyn. Cassian was barely awake in the co-pilot's seat, and Bodhi noticed that he hadn't shifted his weight at all in the last hour. Jyn, on the other hand, was sitting on the floor away from the pilots where she could stretch her bad leg and lean against the tech station. She was turning her kyber crystal pendant over and over between her fingers, eyes staring into space in front of her.

Bodhi cleared his throat nervously. "Jyn?" he asked.

Jyn looks up.

"Where did you get that?" Bodhi makes a small gesture at the pendant, "That kyber crystal."

"It was my mother's," Jyn replies, a hesitant smile on her lips. "She…gave it to me as a sort of parting gift."

"Was she a Jedi?"

Jyn surprises herself by laughing a little. "No, I don't think so," she says, eyes brightening at the thought. "But she was sensitive to the Force. She taught me things about it, taught me to feel it, taught me to know it…" Jyn finds herself looking past Bodhi and into the blue hyperspace outside. "She taught me to trust it."

"What was her name?"

Jyn wonders why Bodhi asks, but she realizes it is probably to help him stay awake. "Lyra."

Bodhi's smile is sincere, "Lovely name."

Jyn smiles back, "Thank you."

Another pause.

"Galen would speak of her when he could. He'd mention you, too, but only as 'Stardust.'"

Jyn held the crystal between her thumb and index finger and looked straight at Bodhi, whose eyes had become solemn.

"He never dared mention your real name around imperial forces. He always believed you were still alive."

"Which is why he eventually sent you." Jyn returns the crystal under her shirt collar and her eyes drop to her hands, "How did you come to know him?"

Bodhi bites his lip and looks down on the deck floor, his brow furrowing as he gathers his thoughts. "I was flying regular cargo runs of kyber crystals to Eadu," he says. "We were told that the crystals would power a 'peacekeeping facility,' a space station that would house imperial forces and that could travel even through hyperspace so that the Empire could…" Bodhi hesitates and looks briefly at Jyn, "so that the Empire could maintain order in the galaxy."

"Did you believe that?"

"I didn't know better." Bodhi folds his hands together, "I grew up on Jedha, before the occupation. But even when imperial forces arrived, they took care of the city."

Jyn watches Bodhi intently and sees he is struggling to find the right words to say next. He settles for, "Little did we know, they were only after the crystals in the temple." Bodhi lets out a breath. "It was a long and smartly orchestrated occupation. By the time the mining started and civil wars broke out, I was already an imperial cargo pilot."

Jyn's brow creases. She waits patiently for Bodhi to continue.

"I'd barely finished my first week standard time transporting kyber crystals to Eadu, when I met your father. Not many pilots were entrusted with transporting the crystals, so few as we were, we each reported directly to Galen because he was the lead scientist and he would give us very specific handling and transportation instructions between the research facility and the Death Star." Bodhi nodded towards Jyn, a sad smile setting on his lips, "He was a different leader from any imperial officer I ever worked for. Most of us cargo pilots preferred to keep a distance, but I was too curious. After I got to know him a little more…I asked about the 'peacekeeping facility' and…and then I was told outright that it was a weapon of mass destruction."

Bodhi looks up, "I couldn't bear the thought that my work was fueling a weapon that would claim hundreds of thousands of lives at a time, and when Galen found that he could trust me, he finally sent me on my last mission…" he swallows, "to find you. He said only _you_ could possibly understand what it meant to destroy something he created."

Jyn closes her eyes, refusing to let thoughts of her father, her _papa,_ to drive her to tears. She's taken aback by what Bodhi says next.

"Cassian never meant to put him in danger, Jyn."

Jyn's eyes snap open and she regards Bodhi with a meaningful but pained look. Bodhi manages to hold her gaze despite the trembling in his voice, "He made a soldier's call. We all know what that's like." He turns again to face the control panel.

Just then, Cassian stirs and lets out a soft groan. Bodhi gets up and reaches to put a hand on Cassian's forehead.

"He's burning with fever!"

Jyn scrambles to her feet and rushes to Cassian's side, taking his head in her hands. Bodhi was right. Cassian's body temperature had risen considerably since she held his hand earlier. "It's probably an infection from his burns. How much longer to Takodana?"

Bodhi was looking over the control panel, "We still have about three hours," he says worriedly.

Jyn quickly looks through her pack by the tech station and pulls out a raincoat poncho. "We have to keep him warm," she says as she wraps the makeshift blanket around Cassian. This time, it is Bodhi who rushes to the back of the shuttle. Jyn starts to vigorously rub Cassian's arms in an attempt to warm him faster. She can hear Bodhi pushing aside supply crates in the storage compartment. He emerges carrying a heavy black roll.

"It's a thermal blanket," he says breathlessly, setting the roll down and undoing the strings. "It's actually meant for transporting cargo intolerant to cold. This should really keep him warm."

"Cassian?" Jyn keeps her voice low as she taps Cassian's cheeks. "Cassian, can you hear me?"

Bodhi quickly wraps the large blanket around Cassian and his seat. He hears the anxiety creeping into Jyn's tone.

"Cassian, wake up, please," Jyn takes a sharp breath as she holds the captain's face between her palms. "Please wake up, Cassian." _Come_ on _, please_. She looks up at Bodhi, who is only able to look back at her with the same troubled expression.

"We should have kept him awake!"

"He'll come to," Bodhi says quickly. "Just keep talking to him."

Jyn taps Cassian's cheeks again. "Come on, Cassian!"

Cassian's eyes open slightly and Jyn makes out the dark pupils looking blankly at her. She breathes.

"Cassian? Cassian, can you hear me?"

His response is incoherent, but it is enough to reassure Jyn for now. Cassian tries to move his head.

"Slowly." Jyn brushes stray strands of hair from Cassian's forehead and tries to get him to meet her eyes. "Cassian, listen to me. I'm going to keep you awake, alright? Try to keep up."

He lets out a hum.

"Just like that," Jyn swallows. "We're almost at Takodana, just hang on."

Cassian's eyes start to close again.

"Hey!" Jyn snaps, and Cassian manages to open his eyes again to see her glaring at him.

"Cassian Andor, if you clock out on me, I will never forgive you."

Cassian manages the slightest smirk. "That…unacceptable," he mumbles.

Jyn turns to Bodhi, "There's still some water left in the canister. Let him drink it."

Bodhi takes the canister from the pack and hands it to Jyn who brings it to Cassian's lips. "Sip a little," she says as she slowly tips the canister.

"Can he take a tablet?"

Jyn watches Bodhi look through the field kit medpac around his waist. He hands her a small foil pack. "What's this?"

"Triptophagea. It's an anti-fever and has no recorded side effects on humans."

"Brilliant," Jyn tears the foil and drops a sweet-smelling white tablet in her palm. "Cassian?"

Cassian opens his eyes again. Jyn holds up the tablet, "This might keep your fever down until we can get you to a medic. Think you can take the whole thing?"

He nods. After Jyn is sure he's swallowed the drug completely, she relaxes and hands the canister back to Bodhi. "Thank you," she says.

Bodhi nods and returns the canister inside the pack. Jyn turns her attention back to Cassian and finds him looking at her.

"Sorry," he croaks.

Jyn pats his shoulder, "It's alright. Just stay awake."

"I know!" Bodhi says a little too brightly as he reappears on Jyn's side, "We should ask you questions."

Cassian holds his breath. Jyn is slightly amused. She doesn't think twice when she says, "Alright," and ignores the meaningful look on Cassian's face. "You start."

"Really?"

"Yeah, ask him anything."

"I'm not taking any questions," Cassian manages.

"And we're not taking any orders, _"_ Jyn replies. She gestures for Bodhi to ask a question.

"So…where were you born?"

Cassian can hardly believe he was about to comply. He was, after all, usually on the side of the interrogator. However, in this instance at least, he knew that staying awake was in his best interest. "Fest," he says shortly.

Jyn raises her eyebrows. She knew that Fest was like Hoth, known for its icy ridged mountain ranges and deep valleys. It had few wilderness areas, but a dense population. Any living species there had to fight to survive. That alone was revealing about Cassian Andor.

"Had you…" Jyn doesn't know why she bothers with this question, "Any pets?"

"Never."

"Why not?"

"Looking after other living things didn't appeal to me."

Bodhi's turn. "First encounter with the empire?"

"3257 LY. I was with a bunch of older boys hiding in the mountains above a valley on Fest. There was a caravan of clone troopers and we started throwing rocks at them. It was a game of who could knock out the most troopers."

"First encounter with the rebellion?"

"Around 3270, after a scuffle between rebels and extremist separatists. General Draven convinced me that the rebellion was more than the separatist movement, and he offered me a post in Intelligence."

"First encounter with a woman?"

Bodhi was met with blank stares. "What?"

" _Really,_ Bodhi." Cassian seems to sink further under the blanket, his jaw rigid. Jyn doesn't say anything.

"I could mean any encounter," Bodhi says, but the way he fights a smile off his face betrays his intention. "But I could mean something more specific."

Cassian keeps his eyes on the control panel in front of him. "I never knew my mother, nor did I have a sister," he said, his speech becoming less slurry. "I knew some girls growing up, but life on Fest was too rough for more-than-friendly relations, especially when the empire started to build their industrial plants."

Jyn watches Cassian as his eyes remain fixed ahead of him, but his lower lip twitches slightly at whatever starts to run through his head.

"There was one separatist girl, but we were both too young to consider anything serious. I never heard from her after I left Fest and joined the rebellion. And then," he takes a breath, "some time back I met another Intelligence officer. I worked with her for a while, but missions got in the way. I let it go."

Neither Bodhi nor Jyn presses him further. Cassian seems to be wide awake now, as a result of the super drug and their brief session of question-and-answer.

"How are you feeling?" Jyn asks, her eyes watchful.

"Better, thanks to you and Bodhi," Cassian replies, his eyes shifting between his two companions. Jyn knows however, that despite what he says he was still in a lot of pain from his injuries.

"Can you move?"

Cassian leans his head back. "I'm not paralyzed, if that's what you're worried about. I can move."

Bodhi takes a breath, "I don't have any pain killers on me. I have Myoplexaril, but—"

"That's too strong," Cassian finishes for him. "I'd rather feel pain in my muscles than lose sensation in them."

Cassian watches Jyn as she folds her arms over her chest and leans against the control panel. He nods towards her. "Do we have a plan once we land?"

 _Trust his brain to go full throttle after that anti-fever,_ Jyn looks at Cassian. "I'll leave Bodhi here with you and get help."

"What do you mean?" Cassian frowns. "Take Bodhi with you. I'll be fine here."

Jyn glances at Bodhi and there's a brief silent exchange between them. "Cassian, you're not in the best shape. If anything happens, you'll need someone back here with you."

"I'm not cripple."

"That's not what I'm saying," Jyn returns calmly. "There's almost no cause for worry once we land in Takodana, but just to make sure, it'll be much easier for me to find help for all three of us if I move alone."

Cassian looks at Bodhi and back at Jyn. Reluctantly, he resigns to the decision. "Fine," he says. "But if you don't return within one standard hour upon leaving the shuttle, we're coming after you."

"Hour and a half."

"… _hour and a half_ ," Cassian affirms albeit reluctantly, his fists clenching under the blanket. "You know, up until a few hours ago, I was the one looking after you."

Jyn can't help but smile, "The Force wills I return the favor."

Cassian smirks and rests his head again. Bodhi takes a step towards Jyn. "So," he hesitates, "Who exactly is this 'friend' of yours?"

Jyn looks at Bodhi, "They call her the Pirate Queen," she says. "Ever heard of her?"

Neither Cassian nor Bodhi affirms.

"She provides a watering hole for space travelers. After I…after Saw Gerrera left me, I found myself at her sanctuary a couple times between odd jobs," she finishes. Jyn notices Cassian's signature untrusting look on his face. "She's a friend," she reiterates confidently. "She'll be there, I know it."

A loud alarm sequence suddenly blares through the shuttle, causing all three passengers to jump in their places. Bodhi is first to recover from the start. "That's a signal. We'll be within orbit in an hour," he walks past Jyn to the pilot's side of the control panel. "The drives are running on 18% power. We'll make it safely."

Cassian manages to bring his hand out from under the blanket to reach for Jyn's arm. She turns to him, eyes questioning. "Get some rest, Jyn," he tells her, his expression that of concern.

Jyn nods and gives Cassian's hand a reassuring squeeze, "I'll be fine. Just stay awake." She lets her hand linger on his a moment longer before she walks back to the tech station, doing her best to conceal her limp. She drops into the technician's chair and takes her necklace in her fingers again. She never before felt her faith in the Force so tested as in the last few days. She closes her eyes and then closes her fist around the crystal.

 _Please recognize me._

* * *

 **A/N:** Thanks for reading! Btw, has anyone finished the Rogue One novelization and Catalyst? They finally arrived in the mail yesterday and I hope the hype is real! My little brother can't put Catalyst down though, so I haven't been able to start haha!


	4. Sanctuary

**A/N:** Hi! Thank you all who have been following this story, adding this to Alerts and Favorites, and who have left kind reviews. I hope I can continue to make this enjoyable for you. I made it a point to finish the Rogue One novelization before completing this chapter and I must say I'd highly recommend it if you want to go deep into the characters' heads. I found I now know our three heroes here differently from how I knew them in the film. Don't get me wrong! It [the novel] hasn't changed how much I love the film, but it sure made it richer for me.

Now, without further ado...

* * *

"I found a clearing!" Bodhi's voice rang through the cockpit. "Everyone, buckle up. Initiating landing sequence."

Jyn fastens Cassian in his seat and hobbles back to take her own at the tech station. Bodhi pilots the shuttle on a smooth course through Takodana's atmosphere, flying lower and lower. Jyn hears the wings of the shuttle whir as they begin to fold for touchdown.

"Where are we?" Cassian asks.

"We're flying over…Nymeve Lake," Bodhi replies as he reads off the screen, switching gears on the control panel. "I'm taking us to a spot east of that castle."

"That's a _castle?"_

The shuttle reaches optimal altitude over the clearing before it descends on a clean vertical path. Jyn waits for the engine to quiet before she follows Bodhi to stand. They convene at Cassian's seat.

"Alright, what happens now?" Bodhi is clearly nervous again. Cassian looks expectantly at Jyn.

"Both of you, stay here," she begins, "I'll head outside and look for medical assistance for Cassian and someone who can give us charges for the shuttle. Bodhi, am I hooked in?" She refers to their comlinks. They had spent the last hour before coming to orbit ensuring that they would be able to stay in touch in the unlikely event of trouble.

"Yes," Bodhi says with a single nod of his head.

"Good. Keep yours on and stay alert."

"I think Bodhi should go with you," Cassian says stiffly. "You know I'd go…" he finishes bitterly.

Jyn takes a breath _I know you would._ "I won't get into trouble," she catches his gaze but finds she can't hold it. She turns back to Bodhi, "If I'm not back in an hour and a half, try the comms or come looking for me."

"Got it."

Jyn slings the travel pack over her shoulder and she and Bodhi quietly make it to the lower deck. The shuttle ramp extends to the grassy expanse outside and sunlight streams into the cargo hold. Jyn squints her eyes.

"Be careful, Jyn," Bodhi says.

She turns to face him, "You, too." She starts to continue her way when she stops, hesitating. She turns again to find Bodhi still watching her. "Take care of him, Bodhi, please. Make sure he—"

"Stays awake," he smiles knowingly.

Jyn suddenly feels out-of-place, realizing that she couldn't put a finger on where her nagging concern over Cassian was coming from.

A rush of memories from Wobani to Jedha to Yavin 4 and to Scarif floods her brain and dims her vision slightly.

Jyn shakes her head and gives Bodhi a final once over and nods before walking onto the grass. She doesn't turn back again even when she hears the ramp close shut behind her. Her eyes are fixed on the familiar castle a ways ahead, and the hauntingly beautiful image it made as it stood over the calm waters of the lake.

She walks on.

* * *

"Woah, hey! What are you doing?" Bodhi hurries to the top of the ladder and rushes to Cassian whose grip was tight on the co-pilot's seat as he struggles to get on his feet. The blankets were on the floor. Bodhi watches with trepidation.

Cassian barely manages to straighten up when his knees buckle. Bodhi is just able to catch him as the he crumples to the floor. "Easy, easy! Take it easy."

Cassian bites back a curse in response, his whole back protesting every inch of movement. He allows Bodhi to help him back on the chair. He's gasping. "I'd be hearing it from Kay by now," he breathes. "If he were here."

Bodhi returns to his own seat and slumps down, "You'd be hearing it from Jyn, too, you know."

The reply is dismissed. "Do you know who she's meeting here? The 'friend' she's going to at the castle."

"Never mentioned it."

Silence.

"How did you do it?" Cassian asks distantly.

"Do what?"

"How did you get us out of there?"

Bodhi takes a breath and rubs the back of his neck. "Luck," he says. "I think. I, uh…barely managed to deflect a detonator headed for the cargo hold."

Cassian nods slowly, trying to calculate the likelihood of anyone else being quick enough to do that. He could almost hear Kay doing the calculations for him. "Close call."

"Too close," Bodhi laughed nervously. "But, what about you guys? What happened to…both of you?"

"We were climbing the data tower when we were apprehended by two Death troopers and their superior." Cassian closed his eyes, raking the mess of information stored in the deepest crevices of his brain, trying to retrieve a name from countless informants he'd dealt with over time. "High ranking imperial officer, all-white…" he falters. The throbbing in his head blocking out information he was sure he already had.

"Director Krennic," Bodhi offers.

Cassian's eyes snap open, " _Krennic_ sent this blast on me and I fell on some metal beams. Jyn…she probably hurt her leg in the climb."

Bodhi squirmed, "You actually _climbed_ the data tower?"

"We lost power in the vault. Kay had to lock us in by triggering a short circuit from the antechamber because we'd been made." Cassian's voice became pained as he finished, "Stormtroopers took him out."

Bodhi was still.

"I ended up on a platform. Climbed back inside the vault and blasted the locking mechanism. That's how I found Kay and took his data drive."

"How did you find Jyn?"

"The only way I knew," Cassian says simply. "I went back to the vault and climbed the rest of the way to the satellite dish."

"You're mad."

"I just made it," Cassian says darkly. "Krennic."

"What a mess…" Bodhi leans back in his seat and stares at the bulkhead, eyes wide. "Do you think it will end?"

"Yeah," Cassian follows the motion, only his eyes are fixed outside the cockpit viewport. "There is hope, still."

Silence fills the shuttle again as Bodhi can't help but mull over everything he just heard. He'd seen the height of the Citadel Tower, and from what he observed, Cassian undoubtedly fractured something during that fall. How he managed to _claw_ his way up the tower just to get to Jyn, holding on to the sheer possibility that she was still alive, was beyond him. How could a man find it in himself to hold on to _just_ possibility?

Unless…

"What makes you believe in hope?"

"Rebellions are built on hope. In the end, that's all one ever needs."

 _That's definitely where Jyn got that line,_ Bodhi thinks to himself. "Do you believe in Jyn?"

Cassian doesn't answer immediately. Suddenly, his mind flashes with vivid memories of an interrogation room where 'Liana Hallik' was brought in for questioning. She was later identified as Jyn Erso, one and only daughter of the feverishly sought imperial research engineer and weapons specialist. When command ordered her aboard the U-Wing with him to see the mission through Jedha, Cassian had wanted to protest. Protocol only made him decide against it. His distrust was fueled when he recognized his blaster strapped to Jyn's hip, and at the time she had dared mention trust.

 _Trust goes both ways._

Cassian's lips form a tight line again as his mind resurfaces the distinct memory on Jedha, that turned his distrust 180 degrees rather violently. They were at the town plaza and Jyn had made a manic attempt to rescue a child from the crossfire of Saw Gerrera's militants and imperial forces. Cassian had been busily shooting down extremists and Stormtroopers to keep their fire off Jyn. Before he knew it, she had barreled straight into him and used her own body to shield his from the brunt of a grenade blast.

"Yeah," he says finally. "I believe in her."

Bodhi smiles to himself. Cassian doesn't see it.

* * *

The walk had probably taken already fifteen minutes standard time given her busted bodily functions. _An hour and half._ Jyn nears the entrance to the castle, controlling her breathing despite the weight of her leg and the pain it shot through her spine. She grits her teeth as her body seems to count all its aches and bruises on its own. Her comlink crackles in her vest pocket.

"Come in, Jyn! Checking your position."

"Bodhi! I just got here," Jyn speaks into the device. "I'm about to go inside. Keep you posted." She's tempted to ask about Cassian but she decides against it.

"Copy that."

Jyn huffs gruffly and makes her way up the stone steps, shifting the pack on her shoulders. The castle had not changed even after all the years she'd been away. The stone exterior shone with grandiose age, looking nearly golden in the sunlight. Flags of the galaxy's richest cultures and species were strung on the battlements, and it was the only way one could see that the castle was inhabited, or "alive", so to speak. Fronting the heavy wooden entrance doors, a large scale statue of the Pirate Queen stood, arms extended with more flags on her arms. Her eyes looked to the distance as if to perpetually welcome travelers, humans, aliens, abandoned droids, even hunters and the hunted.

Jyn pauses. Since she was presumably dead, would she still be considered hunted? She takes a breath and pushes the great doors open.

Jyn finds herself in a poorly lit main hall lighted by torches, flooded by the echoes of noise bouncing off the walls, emanating from unseen guests. She follows the sounds until she enters a chamber on the right. She parts heavy tapestries to make her way inside and the noise is loudest here. Creatures of all species, sounds and sizes crowd the chamber. A bar was set up in the middle operated by three protocol droids. Somewhere in the room, Jyn could make out a live band playing upbeat music. She takes a step forward, and then—

" _TANITH PONTHA!"_

She hasn't been breathing, she realizes, and she still doesn't start breathing. Jyn's grip on her pack tightens and her eyes scan the room. Her only consolation is the crowd does not appear the least bit concerned with the bellowing voice, in fact appears accustomed to similar interruptions.

"I wondered when I'd see you again, _Kestrel Dawn_ ," the same voice says coolly, this time closer, a little less loud, but still as powerful.

Jyn finally takes a breath and smiles nervously, her eyes setting on who she came here to seek. "Maz Kanata," she says.

From the crowd emerged a short humanoid woman. Her skin was a bright and distinct orange, wrinkled from aging over a millennium. Her small eyes were magnified by characteristic goggles, and her thin lips were pursed and disapproving. "I've been asking about you, _Liana Hallik,"_ she returns. The way she emphasizes each alias does not go passed Jyn. "When I heard you'd been arrested again and taken to Wobani, I worried."

"Thank you…" Jyn felt a wave of relief at being recognized wash over her. "Maz, you must forgive me. I need another favor."

"We'll discuss that over a drink."

"No, please!" Jyn starts, the urgency in her voice audible. "I…I'm not alone."

Maz narrows her eyes and she looks back at Jyn pointedly.

"I have two pilots waiting for me at a clearing, a distance from your castle. One of them is severely injured and is in need of immediate medical attention."

Maz closes more space between them and Jyn stoops to hear her low voice. "You show up here after I hear news about a rebel rogue squad and its participation in a now nonexistent Scarif, accompanied by two pilots."

"I can explain."

Maz's gaze is steely. "You are a child with much to explain, for sure."

"I'll do anything to honor your house." Jyn hears that her voice is beginning to shake. She had made deals, so many deals in the past, and she had betrayed some to fulfill taller orders. It was the life of an outlaw. "We will leave you in peace as soon as my pilot can fly and our ship is recharged...and my debts have been duly paid."

"I will not negotiate with you," Maz's voice rings in Jyn's ears. "You know who and what you can and cannot bring into this sanctuary."

"They are good men." Jyn can head her heart pounding in her head now. Time was running short and she couldn't help but bring her thoughts again and again to Cassian, who was in dire need of aid.

"Let me see them."

* * *

Bodhi was counting the agonizing minutes in his head. Cassian had been fading in and out of consciousness despite every attempt to keep him awake and talking. The Triptophagea's effects had been maximized and Cassian's fever had returned with a vengeance. Bodhi knew there was only so much he could do for a man in critical condition with limited resources. A second dose of the super drug at this time could only lead to _irreversible_ consequences.

 _I should go out there_ now. Bodhi tugs at his fingers one by one, recollections of Scarif threatening to take over his sanity. The horrors were still too fresh, still too close. The urgency he felt to get on his feet to find his comrades was renewing. He was even half expecting the Death Star to jump from hyperspace and block the sun from the seemingly serene grasslands of Takodana.

The silence of the cockpit was deafening and Bodhi pulled his attention to the viewport for fear that if he stared too long into the darkness of the upper deck he would see the creature Bor Gullet, and would relive the horrific sensations of going mad as his thoughts and memories were _forced_ out of his mind and _stuffed_ back in—

" _Bodhi?"_

Bodhi jumped and fumbled for the comlink he left on the control panel in front of him. His eyes snapped to Cassian as he stammered, "Jyn! I'm here, I'm here."

"I'm coming to get you," the response crackles over, "Meet us at the cargo hold."

"Alright, but you have to hurry," Bodhi swallows, his eyes still on the unconscious rebel pilot slumped across from him.

"What's happened?"

"It's Cassian. He…" Bodhi squeezes his eyes shut and presses the comlink on his forehead. He was never a deliverer of good news recently. "I haven't been able to wake him up. He needs to get to a hospital _now." What were the odds that an ancient castle had a hospital?_

* * *

On the other end Jyn clutches the comlink and forces herself to ignore the pins and needles in her leg as she quickens her pace. She notices how Maz is able to keep up. An MD-5 medical droid was following closely behind with a battered but functional repulsorlift stretcher.

Jyn's face was steely as she shifted the weight of her travel pack again. She had insisted on taking it with her instead of leaving it at the castle. Kay-Tu _was_ in the pack after all. She was taking short breaths now and her lungs felt ready to burst. Their escort "Emdee", had earlier given her a quick rundown of the injuries she very well knew she sustained, along with all the reasons why she should remain at the castle while he and his mistress went out to search for an unmistakable _imperial_ cargo shuttle on a clearing. Jyn would have none of it, which earned her a strange look from Maz.

"This pilot, the injured one, is important to you."

Jyn ignores the remark from her host. She knew why Maz Kanata found this strange, because neither Tanith Ponta, Kestrel Dawn, Liana Hallik—and certainly not _Jyn Erso—_ had ever found time to regard another as even remotely 'important'.

 _Are you with me?_ Jyn hears her own voice ring softly in her ears.

 _All the way._ That's what Cassian had replied, the fire in his eyes had burned with a desire to keep to his word and fight by her side. Jyn had known Cassian Andor and she had hated him. His companionship, although brief, had brought her pain on Wobani and on Eadu.

But on Scarif…Cassian had brought her hope. And she was told that hope was all anyone ever needed.

In this moment she hoped he still had a chance. She hoped that she wasn't too late. _All the way, Cassian._ She prayed, as if she could urge her thoughts into his subconscious and wake him. _Fight. Please, fight!_

She could finally see the battered shuttle on the horizon, cargo hatch opening to reveal a flustered Bodhi waiting at the hold. Jyn turns to Emdee, "The patient is on the upper deck. We couldn't move him."

The droid doesn't respond and he moves ahead with dutiful intent, stretcher hovering at his pace. Jyn watches as the droid exchanges words with Bodhi before being led into the cockpit overhead, leaving the stretcher below. By the time Jyn and Maz catch up, part of the upper deck floor was lowering to the cargo hold with Emdee on it. Still wordlessly, the droid pulls the stretcher on the same platform and waits for Bodhi to call it up again.

"I'll be right down," Jyn tells Maz and climbs the ladder to the cockpit. There, she finds Emdee and Bodhi hoisting Cassian onto the stretcher with as much care and haste as they could manage. Jyn is frozen at the control panel. Cassian's face was pale and his brow, beady with cold sweat. His chest rose and fell with uneven breaths and the operation didn't even get him to stir. _Fight it, Cassian._ Jyn grabs the heavy blanket on the floor and Emdee finally turns to her just as the platform begins its second descent to the cargo hold. "That will no longer be necessary, I assure you." He speaks gently, his mechanical voice reminiscent of Kay's, and it wrenches Jyn's stomach.

'Jyn.' _The security droid, black as night save for his imperial insignia, had towered over her, servos whirring to a stop as he craned his mechanical neck to meet her eyes,_ 'I'll be there for you. Cassian said I had to.' _Jyn had stifled a laugh just as she caught the look in Cassian's eyes, curious and…playful. He had walked up to her and even tried to walk past, but she'd turned to follow his direction and so they had locked gazes instead_. 'I'm not used to people sticking around when things go bad.' _It was probably the most honest thing she had told anyone since her extraction from Wobani. Cassian had returned with a warm,_ 'Welcome home.'

And she knew she was.

Jyn flinches at the memory, staring at the now empty co-pilot seat, and clutches the blanket to her chest. She barely notices that it had picked up the familiar scent of blaster oil, sun and sweat, and sea spray.

* * *

 **A/N:** I'll be supplementing flashbacks with anything canon I can find in the novels (Catalyst included) and visual guides. Let me know if you like how they get mixed in! Until then, _may the Force of others be with you!_


	5. Negotiations

**A/N:** Hello, dear readers! Once again, thank you very much for giving this story your attention. I am seriously _so_ nervous about how you'll find this chapter. I tried mixing canon, legend, and (some of you might recognize) novelization. It's been a loving struggle maintaining the balance between how our heroes are portrayed in the film and in the book. I hope I was still able to capture them in a way we all know and love 3

Enjoy!

* * *

Jyn lay on her back on a hospital bed, watching an IM-6 droid hovering busily around the ward with a comlink, reporting her diagnoses to whoever was on the other side of the connection. "Multiple bruises…no fractures, no…scarring mostly on the limbs…superficial, yes…torn ligaments, but hardly cause for surgery…yes, I will write the prescription…I agree…Very well, I will be there shortly."

 _Em-six_ makes her way swiftly to Jyn's side and affixes a thick silvery patch on her knee. "This is a bacta patch," she says as she carefully rolls Jyn's fatigues back down over her legs. "I will leave you with painkillers to last the night, and I expect you to adhere to a very specific stretching and massage routine for your knee. For the next forty-eight hours, please take care to _not_ perform any strenuous activities, and take hot baths to induce good blood circulation and faster recovery in your joints and muscles. This salve," the droid pauses to hold up a small synthetic container, "is for your _innumerable_ scars."

Jyn nods distantly.

"You're good to go. Mistress Kanata is waiting for you outside the infirmary. Take the door on your left to exit the ward."

Jyn starts to prop herself on her elbows when she feels a sharp pounding in her head and grimaces. Exhaustion is weighing in.

"Something for your headache?"

"No, thank you," Jyn replies quickly and forces herself to steady on her feet. Turning to Em-six she asks, "Where are my friends?"

Em-six's visual sensors whir and Jyn realizes that if the droid had eyes they would be lingering on her face almost thoughtfully. "As I understand, Mistress Kanata has sent Emmie to escort Bodhi Rook to his quarters." Em-six pauses again, her sensors searching Jyn's face before continuing. "Captain Andor will be out of the operating room shortly. I've been called to assist him into a bacta tank."

 _Operating room…_ Jyn hardens her expression and nods, her lips tight. "Thank you, Em-six," she says and makes it halfway through the ward door when the droid speaks again.

"Would you like me to send for you when you can visit him?"

Jyn stops, surprised at the droid's offer. She looks over her shoulder and sees Em-six still hovering by the bed. The droid rolls her shoulders in a motion that might have been compared to a shrug. "My programming allows me to assess how you _feel_."

Jyn feels her face soften. "Yes, please," she says slowly. "I'd appreciate any news." She continues her way, shutting the door quietly behind her before Em-six can provide a second opinion.

'Cargo shuttle SW-0608?' _Jyn and Bodhi had held their breath in the cockpit. Kay-Tu also sat so still it was as if his servos had gone dead. You are cleared for entry. Bodhi pumped his fists in the air and Cassian had just joined Jyn at her side. She hadn't even noticed him approaching, but in the sheer joy of the moment, Jyn had grabbed his arm and beamed up at him. He'd looked at her with another one of his small and curious smiles._ 'I'll tell the others' _,_ _she'd told him. Cassian looked about to say something in return, but his body made a halting motion and he settled for a nod and a slightly wider smile. As Jyn made her way down to the cargo hold, she heard Cassian slap a hand on one of the overhead compartments and let out a breath, as if his concentration had been disrupted and he was trying to refocus._

 _Kay-Tu had murmured something, Jyn was sure of it, to which Cassian promptly replied,_ 'Shut up' _._

As Jyn found herself exiting the infirmary, prescriptions in her hands, she looked up to find Maz watching her intently, her eyes narrowed behind her goggles.

"Emmie is on her way back for you," Maz says.

"Thank you, Maz," Jyn replies, barely above a whisper. "I find myself once again in debt for your hospitality."

"You follow my rules," Maz does not blink. "Your eyes have changed."

Jyn tears her gaze away, only now remembering that her hostess had a strange habit of reading people and making unwarranted assumptions.

"And you still want to run," Maz adds.

Jyn doesn't say anything. Her whole body ached. She thought of the painkillers Em-six prescribed her and wondered how many she would need to get a good night's sleep—not that she was unaccustomed to sleeping with sore muscles and torn ligaments. She had lived worse days…in a cave beneath a hatch…young, cold, alone…orphaned.

Jyn's attention is brought to the sound of whirring servos and the rhythmic clamping of metal footsteps against stone. Emmie was approaching from down the hall.

"Hello Jyn," she greets. "Shall I take you up now?"

Jyn turns again to Maz and smiles stiffly, "I suppose you'll want to see me later."

"We will not be long," Maz replies. "You may bring your friend."

 _Bodhi._ With a quick nod, Jyn looks back at Emmie and gestures for her to lead the way. She feels Maz's eyes on her back as she follows the droid.

* * *

"You'll find everything in order," Emmie says, motioning for Jyn to walk in ahead. "I found a change of clothes for you and placed them on your bed. Your travel pack is on the chest."

"I recognize this room," Jyn says after a quick sweep of the chamber. She realizes that Emmie had not followed her inside, and instead remained in the doorway. "Thank you," she finishes.

"You are welcome," Emmie responds. "I've also drawn you a hot bath. Freshen up, and I will return in two standard hours to escort you to the mistress' chambers for supper."

"Where's Bodhi?"

"Next door to your right." Emmie says. When Jyn doesn't say anything again, the droid takes her leave and shuts the door.

Just like that, Jyn is alone, and she realizes she feels alone in a way that is unwelcomely familiar. She walks to the foot of her bed and takes the travel pack sitting on the chest. She pulls out Kay-Tu's data drive and holds it in both hands as she slumps to the floor.

Jyn paints a clear picture of the towering droid in her mind and holds it there, allowing herself to sink into her heels, enveloped by the silence of her quarters.

Outside, Takodana was welcoming the first signs of dusk and the sky was pitting the colors of sunset against each other, gold over blue over purple over pink. A soft breeze picks up and teases the worn threads of the tapestries. The moment was peaceful, but not one that Jyn was present to as she held on to the black box, a stark contrast against her pale fingers.

"What would you do to me, Kay?" she says, her voice low as she turned the box over and over, "If you found that I couldn't look after him as well as you did…

"Would you be mad at me, again?" She says this with mixed fondness and bitterness, recalling how Kay had said almost only to himself, that it would not have been _such a bad idea_ if hostiles missed him and shot _Jyn_ instead.

"For the record," Jyn says again, unsure if she was only trying to reassure herself at this point, "You _did_ miscalculate our chances of survival."

She pauses and shuts her eyes tightly, her grip on the data drive becoming urgent.

"But you're not here to hear that, are you? Not here to make some snide remark and put me in place like you enjoy doing," Jyn's breathing turns heavy and she presses the data drive to her forehead. She is shaking. "Because of _me._ " _Because of Galen._

 _My father raised me. My father is a coward. My father is a traitor. Galen Erso is not my father._

Jyn clamped her head down with her arms.

Suddenly she was aboard the imperial shuttle again, the roar of the storm outside was muffled by layers of metal and complex wiring. Jyn was pressing herself against the engine compartment in an effort to get warm from the cold rain of Eadu—and she wept. She wept like the orphan she left behind—or she thought that she had left behind—in her dark cave, on Scarif.

 _Galen Erso did not raise me. Galen Erso let my mother die._

This time no amount of tears could save her, could wash her, could make her feel clean. Jyn Erso felt filthy and vile and cruel for having sent more than a dozen men to their deaths.

* * *

"The Bonemer would have been a bit much. He'll be fine."

 _Kay…what is this._

"His vitals are improving."

 _Kay? No…_

"Brain signals, stable. Heart rate, stable."

 _Jyn!_

"He's awake now—"

"His breathing is too fast!"

"Let me speak to him…"

Cassian's eyes fly open and he feels his heart stop. All he sees is a blur of blue and bubbles. He begins to struggle. Is he drowning? _No, I can breathe!_ He looks around. _Water. Glass. I'm in a tank!_ Frantic, he tries to move his arms but soon notices the restraints.

 _Tubes…connected to…me…!_

" _Captain Cassian Andor?"_

Cassian does not recognize the feminine voice addressing him and he slowly feels for the respirator and audio receiver around his mouth and ears.

It finally hits him.

"Captain Andor, I am IM-6. You arrived on Takodana almost seven hours ago. You are in a bacta tank in an infirmary in Mistress Kanata's castle. Your friends, Jyn Erso and Bodhi Rook, are safe and resting."

Cassian calms slightly at the sound of familiar names.

 _Kanata…Maz Kanata._ Long years of Intelligence training kicks in immediately and he begins to rake his mind for information, cross-referencing, sorting, prioritizing… _Takodana…castle…Pirate Queen…Maz Kanata…_ he finds it at the expense of a headache.

 _Great._ Cassian finally gets his breathing under control. _I'm in an ex-smuggler's home._

The blue liquid clears slightly and he squints to see through the glass. He counts three droids outside the tank. The nearest one, Em-six, he immediately associates the feminine voice with. An MD-5 stood a few paces behind, and farthest, barely visible through the bacta fluid, was a 2-1B busying itself with medical instrumentation.

"You've just awoken from an operation," Em-six continues, the gentleness in her voice reflective of the elegance in her programming. "You were unconscious from your procedure for a total five standard hours. We expected you'd be asleep a while longer, but your body seems to be responding to the bacta treatment quite well."

Emdee steps forward and looks up at Cassian, "Captain, I am MD-5," he offers customarily. "Please raise your right hand if you feel you are ready to terminate this bacta session."

Cassian notices Em-six whirl to protest, but he ignores her and raises his right hand.

"Em-six," Emdee says simply, "Captain Andor can resume bacta sessions tomorrow, after he's had much needed bed rest. Drain the tank, and I will send for Jyn Erso."

 _Jyn is safe._ Cassian breathes a sigh of relief and closes his eyes as he feels the bacta fluid draining around him. He never expected what he thought of next.

 _Thank the Force._

* * *

Jyn and Bodhi exchanged anxious glances as they their hostess sipped quietly from her bowl of soup. They had just concluded the story of their journey from Scarif, and even for a sentient who had lived over a millennia, they worried if Maz was having any trouble processing all the information, especially that of a Death Star.

Or was she?

"Do you like your food?" comes the calm and unexpected response.

Bodhi swallows loudly.

"Yes, Maz," Jyn says, tearing her eyes away from the pilot and looking at the ex-smuggler across the table. "Thank you."

She did not know a lot about the Pirate Queen, if only a little more than others. Jyn never had time to spare, nor was Maz Kanata noted for a tendency to share much of herself in the first place. What _was_ certain to Jyn was the older being's wisdom, evidenced by the lines on her face, the scars on her hands that never properly healed, and the gleam in her eyes when she listened to a story and recalled other similar ones she had known. Her voice was also crisp, and never faltered, as if she had practiced a lifetime of saying words and had grown incapable of making mistakes in her speech.

It was this alone that intimidated Jyn, but she reminded herself that she could have trusted no one else. Maz Kanata was known to most as a smuggler and an adventurer, but Jyn knew her as a collector and a learner. She could still recall how her mother told her stories of an 'ancient woman' who travelled the farthest sectors and systems to find artifacts that _spoke_ to her through the Force; how she smuggled these to her homeworld on Takodana, and hid the them away from greedy worlds and evil men.

When Jyn was barely seventeen, she sought to find this world and the odd traveler on nothing but a hunch. She found Maz Kanata, and perhaps it was her youth and spirit then that made it easy for the Pirate Queen to take her under her wing for a lot less than what was due for her stay in the castle.

Presently, after nearly a decade, Maz brings a cup of hard liquor to her lips and takes a sip. Her eyes find Jyn's and her expression becomes firm, her eyes glistening under soft yellow light. "You say this _Death Star_ has destroyed two worlds and claimed millions of lives," she says, "I have lived long and have seen the empire fall and renew itself and grow stronger. But this…"

Bodhi is still in his seat and his eyes are fixed on his hands under the table. Jyn places a hand on his shoulder and turns to look at Maz. "We transmitted the plans to the Rebellion. We just need a way to ensure they received it."

"And if they didn't?"

Jyn's breath hitches in her throat and she almost jumps when Bodhi takes it upon himself to answer in her stead. "We'll find a way to destroy the Death Star ourselves."

Jyn stares at Maz and swore to herself she saw a hint of a smile.

"I look into _your_ eyes, pilot," the hostess says carefully, "And I see a man who is trying to find himself again." She closes her eyes and breathes in deeply. "Yes, you will be alright."

Jyn sees Bodhi's eyes become glassy and he seems to make a conscious effort to avoid looking at her. "Maz," she says, "We need charges for our ship, and…a new body for our droid."

She feels Bodhi's eyes on her now. "I know better today," she continues, "I won't return any less than what is due. Bodhi, Cassian and I, will do anything to return to our base." _Our base…our home._

Jyn does not doubt it now. Maz Kanata was smiling. "Your eyes belong to that of a woman who has grown," she says. "Lyra would be proud of you."

Jyn's heart stops. Suddenly, her mother's stories do not seem as grand as they sounded when she was a child.

"You mentioned you need a body for a droid."

"KX-series security droid," Jyn supplies.

Maz raises her eyebrows, "A K-2SO?"

"Jyn, what are you—" Bodhi mutters.

Jyn squeezes his hand under the table. "Yes. I need a reprogrammable KX-series imperial security droid."

Maz shrugs and pushes the bottle of liquor across the table towards her guests. "And I need to find a mercenary," she says. "His name is Saponza and he runs a ring of new militants from across systems. With Saw Gerrera gone, the Rebel Alliance needs as much an organization as it can get."

Jyn stiffens in her seat and nods.

"Are you part of the Alliance?" Bodhi chimes in surprise. He is met with Maz's crisp laughter and her matter-of-fact reply, "The Jedi are old friends and are long gone. But the Force speaks to me, and they would have approved my affiliation with the Rebellion."

Maz shifts her gaze to Jyn and her tone drops, "For the sake of the galaxy and my own. Saponza's men are strong but scattered. They've been trying to set up bases on different worlds with little success. I can offer him a base right here on Takodana, as well as a connection to the stronger forces of the Alliance. Perhaps by then, we'd have a fighting chance against the Empire."

 _War is inevitable._

"When do we start?" Jyn asks almost immediately.

"Cassian Andor is a captain…from the Rebellion, I assume? I need to know if he's ever gotten wind on Saponza."

"He's a ranking Intelligence officer," Bodhi quips, his face lightening up. "Maybe he can help you, after all."

"If he wakes up," Jyn says quietly.

" _When_ he wakes up," Maz looks straight at Jyn, "And when he tells us what he knows, one way or another I'll be taking you with me and Emmie on a lead."

Bodhi furrows his brow. "Hold on, I'll be coming with you!"

Jyn turns to look at the man at her side. He _has_ changed ever since Eadu. This was no longer the Bodhi Rook who would willingly stay on a ship to keep the engine warm, if he could help it.

"So, the plan is," Bodhi pushes his plate aside, "We get a lead from Cassian, or whoever has one on Saponza, find the mercenaries, bring them back, and initiate a connection with the Rebels." He draws lines on the table with his fingers. "We can even escort them to the base, let the Rebels know we're coming."

"We need to be very careful about this," Jyn cautioned. "While we're _dead_ in the eyes of the Empire, I think we should keep it that way. If and when we decide to return to base, we have to secure our way back."

"A problem for another time," Maz says with finality. "Do we have an agreement?"

Jyn finds herself smiling as she takes the bottle of liquor and pours drinks for the three of them. "To the Rebellion," she says, raising her cup.

"To Cassian," Bodhi returns and touches his cup to Jyn's.

Maz smiles, her brow furrowed in determination as she raises her glass, "To Rogue One."

* * *

Bodhi stops when they reach Jyn's door.

"This is good night, then?"

Jyn looks to see him smiling and she smiles in return despite herself. "Things will get easier," she says.

"It will," Bodhi returns. "There's still hope."

Bodhi starts to walk away when he hesitates and turns back to Jyn. "About Kay-Tu's body…"

"I'm not sure I can do it, either, Bodhi," Jyn says weakly. To her surprise, Bodhi's face lights up again and he places a reassuring hand on her shoulder, "Put three brains together and perhaps we'll come up with something. Recreate him, maybe."

"Maybe."

She watches as Bodhi continues to his room and she retires to her own, worn from the day.

Jyn remembers her first night on Wobani, the cold slab that served as her bed, and her cell mate 'Kennel'. She snorts as she dresses down and settles under the sheets.

'Next work crew we are on together. I will kill you then.' _Jyn had taken that threat lightly. On Wobani, she'd be dead before Kennel had the chance. '_ Who's going to keep you company'? _Kennel's reply came short. Simple._ 'I like a quiet cell.'

'What if I kill you first?'

 _Jyn had waited for the reply. When it came, she realized she had expected as much:_ 'Then I hope _you_ like a quiet cell, Liana Hallik.'

For the next few hours, sleep eluded Jyn. Her subconscious feared her descent into a dark cave and the voices that would haunt her when the hatch would close. She tossed and turned under the sheets, occasionally glancing at Kay-Tu's data drive at her side table, as if at any moment it might disappear.

But even when she's wide awake, the sharp knock on her door makes her sit bolt upright.

" _Jyn? It's Emmie. You're being called to the infirmary."_

 _Cassian!_ Jyn rushes to get into her fatigues and boots again.

When she opens the door, Emmie immediately starts to walk to the direction of the infirmary. Jyn shuffles after her, "How is he?"

"Responding well to medication, actually," the droid returns. "I think the diagnosis will please you. Emdee will be able to provide you with more information, but as far I know, Captain Andor will have to undergo a few more sessions of bacta treatment before he's allowed to resume regular activities."

The halls are like wind tunnels and Jyn bites back a curse for forgetting to take her vest with her. She had forgotten the weather trends of Takodana.

When they arrive at the infirmary, Emmie allows Jyn to walk in ahead before leading her to the recovery ward. Jyn squints and resists the urge to bring her hand over her eyes as she adjusts from the torch lit castle halls to the bright synthetic lights of the infirmary.

"Good morning, Jyn."

Jyn nods in greeting as Em-six hovers towards her.

"I'll follow you into the recovery ward after I write Captain Andor's prescriptions. He refuses to sleep until he's seen you."

Jyn raises her eyebrows as the droid hovers away and disappears into another room. Emmie was already holding the door to the recovery ward ajar.

Jyn walks through the doorway and immediately sees Cassian at the end of the room, lying still on a slightly reclined hospital bed, eyes nearly closed, breathing steady. At least the color seemed to have returned to his face. She makes her way quietly to his side and dares place one hand on his and another in his hair. She watches as the corners of Cassian's eyes wrinkle as he smiles, albeit tiredly.

"You know, I actually hoped they'd wake you, anyway."

"Hoped?" Jyn says almost sarcastically.

"Yeah," Cassian manages a smirk. "Rebellions are built on hope."

* * *

 **A/N:** Eeep-haha! I know it's short but I'm looking to add a little more fluff as I explore the RebelCaptain relationship. Please let me know what you think about this latest chapter, or how I can possibly make this story more enjoyable as it progresses~ Till next, may the Force be with you!

EDIT: Huge thanks to engineerwenlock for spotting the correction in my use of BBY. Chapter 3 has already been edited to reflect Lothal Years.


	6. Rebels

**A/N:** Hello, dear readers! I apologize for my long absence. It's been so wild at work lately and I ended up finishing this chapter fresh from fever. I love how this relaxes me. I think we can all agree that reading and writing can provide us some temporary reprieve, a chance to break away from this world into somewhere much more entertaining. I hope I can make things up to you with this chapter. Enjoy!

* * *

'Jyn, my Stardust, I can't imagine what you think of me.'

'If this message still finds you, you make me no less proud. If you found a place in the galaxy untouched by war —a quiet life, maybe with a family—if you're happy, Jyn, then that's more than enough.'

 _Jyn cries over her father's body, burnt, charred, and twisted from the impact of Alliance bombs. The strong rain of Eadu drums on the remains of the steel platform, and she barely notices that her surroundings are lit up like hellfire._

If you're happy, Jyn…

 _But she could not possibly be. She hears Stormtroopers coming, boots clattering on metal, shouts and commands competing against the roar of the storm, but she could care less, so much less, if they killed her now. She thinks about all the things she should have done from the point that her mother tied the kyber crystal around her little neck. Young Jyn Erso should have never let her leave. She thinks about the day that Saw Gerrera abandoned her. Young Jyn Erso should have refused orders and followed his ship back. She thinks about the moment Kessel said she would wait to kill her until they arrived at the next labor site. Jyn Erso should have picked a fight in that cell to finish it. She thinks about the moment Mon Mothma_ imposed _on her the mission on Jedha and the task to seek out her long lost father. Jyn Erso should have asked to be returned to Wobani._

 _Jyn almost wants to feel blaster fire on her weak muscles, to reopen old wounds and burn holes through her hollowed soul. When the blasts actually come, she notices they are shot past her, from a shadowy figure hurrying in her direction from uphill of the research facility._

 _She feels_ his _arms on hers, gentle but urgent, and she hears his voice._

'Let's go, Jyn. Leave him.'

'I can't…I can't leave him _,'_ _she desperately looks up at Cassian for any sign of understanding._ 'Help me.'

 _Cassian grips her shoulders,_ ' _Look at me,' he says, voice firm but not harsh,_ 'He's gone. There's nothing you can do.'

 _Jyn finds it in herself to allow him to uncurl her fingers from her father's body and urge her to get on her feet. The rain continues to beat their bodies, cold and wet biting through their fatigues and into their skin, plastering dark hair on their faces until one can't make out the urgency in his look, and the other the tears in her eyes._

'Let's _go!'_

 _And she's up and she's running again almost blindly; frustration urges her body forward, knowing that all her life that was all she ever did._

* * *

Jyn wakes with a jolt and jumps to her feet, even taking a few purposeful strides forward, old militia training driving her senses. _Sleep with half your mind awake, and for whatever reason you are suddenly woken,_ run.

" _Papa?"_ she hears herself whisper with an unfamiliar sense of urgency, eyes wide and darting, heart pounding in her chest. She looks for the rain, searches for fire, smells for burning steel, and she starts breathing heavily as she remembers where she is.

"A dream…" she tells herself, her voice low. "It was just a dream." Her mind runs with foggy memories from hours ago. Cassian had fallen asleep in the middle of conversation and she had settled into a chair next to him intending to stay only a few more minutes. So perhaps exhaustion had overtaken her too quickly and she could not even recall who turned out the lights in the ward and left a blanket around her shoulders.

"Jyn?"

Cassian's voice is croaky and Jyn forces herself out of her own head. As her eyes adjust to the dimness of the ward, she manages to make out Cassian shifting his weight trying to find her. She slowly recounts her steps and sits on the edge of the bed, "Hey."

"What time is it?"

"I don't know. The chrono's outside." Jyn watches as Cassian props himself on his elbows and adjusts his position to sit. "How are you feeling?" she asks.

"Just get me out of here," he grumbles with a hint of his characteristic uneven smile. "Did you stay here all night?"

Jyn tries to see the details of his face and she wonders if he disapproved that she did not return to her quarters. "I doubt it's been very long," she offers.

There was a pause between them and the silence was accompanied only by the rhythmic beep of Cassian's vitals monitor.

"Did I wake you?" Jyn asks.

"I heard something move next to me," Cassian replies quietly. "I sleep light."

 _All soldiers do._ "Strange, isn't it?" she says. "We're so used to running."

Cassian responds with a dark chuckle. "At least here, maybe we can get a few hours of real sleep."

Jyn smiles, and another long but comfortable pause between them follows.

"I haven't been awake long enough to thank you properly," Cassian says.

It would not have surprised Jyn if Cassian weren't the type to say 'thank you'. Coming from experience, he was hardly the type to apologize. "Saved you more than once," she dares to tease.

"We evened out on Eadu," Cassian responds before he could catch himself. Jyn does not take offense, or at least she makes no sign that she does, and Cassian is almost relieved that the dim ward spares him from having to look into her eyes. His mind races back to the moment in hyperspace en route to Eadu, when he watched as Jyn stared so intently at the hull of his U-Wing that she could have borne a hole in it. On Jedha, he knew that Jyn was a good fighter. But on Eadu, he realized that Jyn was dangerous.

Which is why Cassian was stunned when she had nearly lost her mind on that platform, breaking down over Galen's lifeless body. Even as her eyes were illuminated under the light of fire, he had never seen a more empty soul. For a moment, he had lost the outlaw he met on Yavin 4 and the fighter he discovered on Jedha.

And when the same had accused him of being no better than a Stormtrooper, he learned that war had made him no more than a killer at the core.

Galen was dead not on his orders, but on his judgment. At least, he would be accountable for that.

"I am sorry about your father."

When he receives no response, Cassian slides the back of his hand on the sheets and offers an open palm. To his surprise, his gesture is accepted, and he is grateful. Perhaps, after all his sins as a rebel dog, he could live with being forgiven at least by Jyn Erso.

Jyn feels a sad smile on her face and searches for Cassian's eyes. "I'm glad you came with me on that mission," she says quietly, remembering that it was something she wanted to tell him while they were still on Scarif. She would not have trusted anyone else to lead her through a mission, much less expected anyone else to claw his way up a data tower with broken bones and a blaster hit to the ribs just to secure a transmission.

But she could trust Cassian Andor.

 _I have been in this fight since I was_ six _years old!_ She knew that they were no different. Anyone who could be deemed to this day nowhere in allegiance with the Galactic Empire could be assumed to have been fighting a battle of their own at a tender age. The only difference, indeed, was what they chose to do about their circumstances.

Perhaps this is why she decided to see the mission through, despite the odds— _against_ the odds.

Jyn watches Cassian lean his head back on the pillow and close his eyes. His breathing is heavy when he finally replies, "All the way."

As his grip loosens around her hand, Jyn suddenly hears the muffled noise of crashing instruments and yelling from outside the ward.

" _Humans are so clumsy!"_ she hears the 2-1B cry out.

"Din't ask yor opinion, ya pile of scraps!" a slurry masculine voice snaps back.

" _What_ did you call me?"

 _Drunk smugglers._ Jyn looks back and sees Cassian already watching the door with an amused look on his face.

"You'll hit your head if you don't stop doing _that."_ Emdee calls out matter-of-factly.

" _Watch out!"_

Another crash. More yelling.

Jyn gets on her feet and smoothens her shirt and fatigues, turning to Cassian with a smirk, "Let me see if I can't give those droids a hand."

Suddenly the ward door bursts open and Em-six hovers quickly inside, servos whirring high-pitched, muttering to herself as irritably as a droid could be programmed to, "Peace and quiet, I said, _peace and quiet_ because this door leads to the recovery room!" The droid switches on ambient lights and halts when she sees Jyn and Cassian regarding her curiously. "Oh dear," she says, "I should have knocked."

"It's alright. We were awake," Jyn says.

"Well, good morning!" Em-six hovers to Cassian's side and checks his monitor. "You probably want to know that it's well past dawn. Both of you should have your breakfasts soon."

Cassian straightens up. "I can get out of here?"

Em-six gives the man a onceover with her visual sensors and nods. "Your monitor has been sending us readings throughout the night. However, you'll do well to take it very easy: no running, no heavy lifting, and since you're a pilot I will not hear of any flying—"

Another crash sounds from outside the ward. Cassian and Jyn keep their eyes on Em-six, who really could have torn her hair if she had any, "—and _absolutely NO_ drinking," she says with finality. "You are also due two more bacta sessions, the sooner the better, the faster you heal."

Jyn suppresses a laugh as the droid went on without pause. Cassian's eyebrows are raised.

"Your prescription also includes painkillers," the droid retrieves a small bottle from her carrying port and hands it over to Jyn. "You'll do well to take one once a day for the coming week. You don't feel pain now, but you will otherwise. Keep standard time if later on you find yourself outside Takodana."

Jyn raises her eyebrows at Cassian and pockets the bottle. "We'll make sure," she assures Em-six.

"Right," the droid hovers a few paces away and turns to face the pair again. "Let's see you stand on your own."

Jyn resists the urge to help Cassian when she moves out of the way and watches as the man pushes the blankets off his legs. If he is in pain, he does not show it. Cassian gets on his feet and steadies himself against the bed rail. When he finally straightens up, Jyn lets out a breath.

"How's that?" Em-six asks, visual sensors fixed on his body.

"Nothing like I could take on a Stormtrooper, but I'd punch one anyway."

"That will do," Em-six turns to Jyn. "Please make sure that he returns to the infirmary soonest possible after breakfast. His body is on a good healing streak. We must take advantage of it."

Jyn nods and walks over to Cassian. "Want help with your boots?"

"No, I've got it," comes the quick reply. As Jyn waits, she starts to debate whether she should already inform him of the price that came with his medical treatment. Cassian was the first step to finding Maz's mercenaries. The sooner he could share what he knew, the faster they could return to Yavin 4. Cassian finishes lacing his boots and when he straightens up again he meets Jyn's eyes almost expectantly.

 _He knows_. Jyn approaches him and wraps a supporting arm around his back and waist. He offers her a sheepish laugh in return. She lets on another small smile and starts to lead him out the door, thanking Em-six along the way.

* * *

Bodhi is hunched over his meal, deep in thought and thankful to be alone at his small table. He had not seen Jyn all morning and he doubted she would run any sort of errands without at least notifying him first. _Nothing bad could have happened,_ he reassures himself. _This is a safe haven for even the galaxy's most wanted criminals._ He looks around. The mess hall is bustling with activity. Most of the castle's inhabitants, those not nursing a hangover at least, were holding loose conversations at their tables. Protocol droids weaved their way through the crowd providing assistance and ensuring that the mistress' basic house rules were observed. As far as Bodhi could remember, as long as guests refrained from any violence of any sort, as well as passionate or dispassionate talk of politics, they could remain as guests. The first night was free, but the succeeding nights would have to be paid for handsomely. The latter made him nervous. Finding Saponza was clearly the only way their small team was going to repay Maz Kanata for her hospitality. He muses over how important the mercenary group could possibly be that finding them would be enough to cover everything they asked for, including Cassian's treatment. On top of this, there was the arrival of the Death Star plans to secure on Yavin 4.

Bodhi was about to allow himself the 'leisure' of deeper brooding when he spotted Jyn making her way around the tables. His face lights up when he realizes who she is leading. He jumps up and waves his hands over the crowd and smiles widely when Jyn sees him and begins to make for his direction, Cassian in tow.

"Good to see you, friend!" Bodhi grabs Cassian's arm and pulls him into an amiable hug. The gesture is returned with enthusiasm.

"You, too, Bodhi." Cassian laughs despite himself, "I owe you and Jyn my life."

"Nothing like that, really," Bodhi takes a step back and is beside himself with giddiness as he takes in the joy of the moment. "You must be starving! I'll get you some food."

Before Jyn could protest his offer, the cargo pilot is off almost skipping. She smiles and seats herself next to Cassian. "You wouldn't recognize him."

Cassian nods, eyes glistening in the morning sun streaming through the large windows of the mess hall, "He is a far cry from the imperial pilot we found on Jedha."

"The imperial pilot you _rescued,"_ she corrected. Cassian shakes his head, and although he is still smiling, the glint in his eyes dull slightly. "I asked Baze to make sure he came out alive."

Jyn set her jaw and brought her eyes down to look at her hands folded on the table. It would be a while before any of them came to terms with the aftermath of Scarif. She wonders again if Admiral Raddus was able to take the plans all the way to the base, or if imperial fleet, god forbid, had intercepted his _if_ the plans did make it to the base, why then were they unable to set the course to Yavin 4 in hyperspace? Did passing meteorites and asteroids coincidentally block the route? Or were returning rebel forces causing an influx of traffic on the hyperlane? Jyn feared the worst; that imperial fighters were sent on a mad hunt throughout the galaxy to retrieve the Death Star plans and destroy one of the Rebel Alliance's largest and most important bases.

Before Jyn could drive herself mad with theories, Cassian rests a hand on hers and she feels his eyes watching her carefully. "Don't go there, Jyn," he says gently. "All is as the Force wills it."

She turns her head to look at him and she recognizes where she first heard his statement. "You're right," she says, barely above a whisper. "There's still hope."

At that moment, Bodhi sets two plates of food on the table and takes his seat, "I ran into Emmie. She'll bring over some Bantha milk."

"Thanks, Bodhi," Jyn says and starts on a piece of bread. Cassian follows and she barely hears him sigh in relief.

Bodhi clears his throat as he glances around him, careful to note that none of Maz's protocol droids were within hearing, "There's been a lot of talk this morning, mind you," he says quietly.

Jyn and Cassian exchange glances and lean in. Bodhi keeps himself from stammering, "A number of bounty hunters here have been offered a handsome sum if they provide assistance in retrieving the lost Death Star plans—well they're now called 'construction blueprints' apparently," Bodhi wrinkles his nose. "Likely to fan off the scent from a superweapon. The hunters are here on a stopover, but they'll be off by tomorrow."

"So they still haven't found it," Cassian grins. Next to him, Jyn seems to both relax and tense at the same time. "It still doesn't explain the traffic on the hyperlane," she says. "And we still have to make sure those plans haven't lost their way. If the Death Star was finally destroyed, we'd know about that by now."

Bodhi suddenly sits up straight and his companions take it as a warning. Emmie appears with a tray of large glasses filled with fresh blue Bantha milk.

"Good morning, fighters," she says casually, setting the glasses down in front of each guest. "Mistress Kanata has ordered services for your shuttle. You may examine it during the day at your own time. Tomorrow, she expects you to be ready for flight."

Jyn steals a glance at Cassian, who seems unfazed by the latter part of the droid's greeting. She looks back at Emmie and thanks her. As the droid walks off, Bodhi takes a sip of milk. "Does Cassian know?"

"Jyn mentioned your mission. You're looking for a group of mercenaries that we need to convince to become a rebel cell." Cassian takes another bite of bread, waiting for someone else to speak up. Jyn takes the cue. "It was too sensitive to discuss in detail on the way here, but we're looking for a man named _Saponza,"_ she supplies. "Does that name sound familiar to you?"

Cassian chews carefully, dark eyes fixed intently on a spot on the table. His brow furrowed and his jaw stiffened as he sifted again through information in his head. _Saponza…mercenary…rebel cell…militia…Saw Gerrera…_ almost there… _Jedha? No, desert…Tatooine—_ "Mos Eisley." Cassian takes a gulp of milk from his glass.

Jyn tilted her head to one side, "The spaceport on Tatooine?"

"That's the place," Cassian nodded. "Like the Rebellion tried with Saw, we attempted to reach out to Saponza and his group of mercenaries, but they, too were not exactly sure what they were fighting for. They only knew that they did not agree with the Empire, so they pillaged where they could, saved who needed saving, and got by doing odd jobs for ring leaders like the Hutts." Cassian pauses and looks over his shoulder. He lowers his voice, "The Alliance could not wait for them to decide themselves. It's been a while, but back then, General Draven figured they were not yet a worthy investment. Why does your Pirate Queen want to catch his attention now?"

Jyn's gray eyes are almost playful when she replies, "When you wanted a tie-up with Saw Gerrera, you needed a way in. Maz is your way to Saponza. She intends to offer him a base here on Takodana and eventually affiliate them with the Rebellion."

Cassian raises his eyebrows, "Why?"

"She wants to help the Rebellion. She was friends with the Jedi."

"There are no Jedi anymore," Cassian says quickly, but unsure what to make of the constant resurfacing of the old fairytale warriors. "You can't put your trust in just stories."

"I put my trust in _her_ stories," Jyn says without hesitation and she chooses the words that follow carefully. "Helping her is our only way off this planet right now. I have a debt to pay and this is simple enough."

When Cassian doesn't answer she tries to look at Bodhi for support. His eyes are wide and alert and he seems to urge her on. "You said so yourself," she says, turning back to Cassian. "You wanted to get them into the Alliance. It's been long enough. I'm sure they're just waiting for another opportunity. Maz intends to set course for destination tomorrow morning. When Bodhi and I return—"

Cassian's glare is enough to cut her off. Jyn swallows.

"Alright, listen. I gave you the lead and I'm coming with you," he says.

"Cassian…"

"I'm not taking any chances. This is a militant group we haven't engaged in years."

Jyn does not recognize the urgency in his voice, but she knows enough that it was not a voice of someone who was in the mood to argue.

"Your bacta treatment," she finally says stupidly.

"I'll finish them," comes the simple response.

Jyn watches Cassian take another bite from his meal and he glances at Bodhi. "What are we doing today?"

"I was going to take the chance to check on the cargo shuttle. Imperial ships rarely have pain points, but when they're fresh off the experimental phase you can never be too careful. We especially don't want the drives overcharged."

"After that, we should go look for Maz; see what she needs to be done before the mission tomorrow," Jyn does a quick scan of the mess hall, searching for the ex-smuggler to no avail.

Cassian finishes the milk in his glass and nods at Bodhi. "Let's get started on your ship."

* * *

"Any idea whose services Maz Kanata patronized for this?" Cassian asked, slightly out of breath as he kept his pace with his two companions. The way out of the mess hall and through the main entrance of the castle was winding, and now the trio found themselves walking the familiar grassy path to where they left their cargo shuttle.

"Possibly some guests who don't have enough credits to pay for their stay here, or some astromech and maintenance droids," Jyn replies. Cassian gives her a strange look, "How is this castle so well-equipped?"

Jyn shrugs, "No one knows exactly how this castle was built, nor how Maz came to be its mistress. Her statue at the entryway, though," Jyn makes a gesture to look over her shoulder, "That one is from her former husband."

"She had family?"

"None that anyone knows."

"You're posing a challenge for our Intelligence officer here," Bodhi grins and sees Cassian respond with a small laugh and shake of his head. "The castle is easily almost a millennia old, isn't? I'm sure all those flags hanging outside may have something to do with how it was built."

"Maybe." Jyn nods.

The cargo shuttle soon comes into view and the small group squints their eyes against the sunlight as they approach. Near the open cargo hold outside were two large containers.

"What are those?" Jyn asks a little too quickly for her own liking.

"Containers like that can keep all sorts of starship equipment and parts," Cassian offers. "Those are probably holding power cells for the drives."

Bodhi looks at Jyn with an amused expression, "You've really never flown before?"

"Not legally."

Cassian smirks. _Figures._

Bodhi is first to reach the ramp of the shuttle. Just as he starts for the interior, an astromech wheels in front of him and bleeps persistently. The unsuspecting pilot throws his hands in the air, "Hey, easy!" Bodhi looks at over his shoulders towards the containers. "This is our shuttle. It runs on E-16x engines and I just wanted to make sure that your power cells are compatible."

The droid bleeps again but makes no motion to move aside. Cassian steps in. "You're a D3-S5, aren't you?"

The droid turns to look up at the rebel with its visual sensors. It lets out a low and prolonged beep, almost like a whistle. Cassian kneels in front of it. "I know. You're doing really well for your age," he says genuinely. "Let us inspect our ship and we can help you get your work done faster."

The D3 then turns to Jyn.

"She's with us. Consider her ground crew," Cassian supplies.

Apparently satisfied, D3 lets out another string of beeps and wheels out of the way.

"Thank you," Bodhi says, relieved. "Shall we have a look at those ion drives?"

As the pilot and astromech make their way out of the cargo hold to inspect the exterior, Jyn looks expectantly at Cassian. He responds with a glance towards the upper deck, "Might as well look upstairs, see what we should replenish for the journey home."

Jyn nods back and follows Cassian to the upper deck. They find no one in the cockpit and the silence comes accompanied by a wave of unwelcome memories.

 _'_ Everyone stay down! Inspection team is on their way _._ ' _Jyn and Cassian had squeezed against each other under the main console of the upper deck. Neither of them had dared to breathe as they strained their ears and listened to Bodhi casually talk up the approaching inspection team._

'Hey!' _They heard him say._ 'You're probably looking for a manifest.'

'That would be helpful.' _The imperial officer replied, polite but officious. When they heard Bodhi lift a hatch below, Jyn and Cassian locked gazes, apprehensive of everything that could go wrong if this part of the plan were to screw itself over_. 'It's just down here.'

 _Barely 10 counts had passed when Kay-Tu's head emerged from the step ladder from the lower deck. He found Jyn and Cassian and he nodded customarily._ 'Time to go!' _He'd said, perhaps too cheerily for a droid._

Presently, Jyn steps over to the co-pilot seat where Kay, and later Cassian, had stayed during flight. She runs her hands over the control panel and barely notices Cassian make his way to the back of the ship towards the supplies storage. "Jyn?"

Jyn tears her eyes away from the viewport and follows Cassian to the back. He was already rummaging through the remaining cases. "Help me take inventory of this, will you?"

"Sure," Jyn says, shaking her head to clear her mind. She stands still and watches as Cassian rests his hands on a case and bows his head. "You alright?"

"Only yesterday…" Cassian murmurs, eyes steady as he found Jyn's, "We were on this ship on a mission to save the galaxy. Now, we're in a momentary rut. We'll get out of it."

Jyn furrows her brow, unsure of what Cassian was trying to say. Almost as if he senses her thoughts, he continues, "I owe this much to you," he said. "Mon Mothma said to never forget what we did to you. She won't. _I_ won't."

"What are you—"

"I joined the Rebellion by choice," he cuts again. "Perhaps not completely, but somehow I did by choice. You on the other hand, were forced into it. But it looks like you've chosen it anyway."

"I have," Jyn replies quickly. "No pain that might have come with that choice can ever amount to the pain that came with the empire. I've been fighting my whole life and I've wasted so much effort on denying the inevitable." She stops and she can see worry creeping in to Cassian's eyes. He does not doubt her. She knows also that he does not doubt her strength. But she sees that he worries. "I'm not looking to be a hero," she continues. "But I want nothing more than to die fighting for a reason now."

"And I'll be with you," Cassian said quietly. "If you'll have me."

Jyn smiles and lifts her chin slightly, "It would be an honor, captain."

Cassian smiles back.

* * *

The team had regrouped outside the cargo shuttle and were joined by a BLX maintenance droid named Bollux, who was just finishing a detailed run-down of the shuttle's condition to Bodhi when Jyn and Cassian came into hearing.

"Otherwise, your shuttle will be within flying condition within the next 48 hours. You may already want to stock up on provisions for your journey."

"Thank you, Bollux," Bodhi nods and regards his friends. "We're good here. We can stock up tomorrow at our first port."

"D3 and I will be working your shuttle all night. You do not need to worry," Bollux chimes again, raising an arm slowly in the air in an imitation of a triumphant fist. Just then D3 bleeps excitedly, bouncing on his servos.

"Looks like we're being summoned," Bodhi offers.

Jyn nods at the droids, "Thank you again for your help. We'll try to come by tomorrow."

As the party separated, Bodhi led the way across the field seemingly to the back of the castle.

"D3 mentioned a hangar?" Cassian clarifies, looking curiously at the other pilot.

"Well…a _makeshift_ hangar," comes the response.

"Nothing is as simple as a makeshift here in Maz Kanata's castle," Jyn speaks up, looking at her companions with a glit in her eye. "The hangar will blow you away."

"You've seen it?" Cassian asks.

Jyn doesn't respond and she moves ahead to lead the group faster. When they turn to follow the castle's perimeter, she hears both men behind her stifle gasps of awe.

Before them was a massive stone archway, reminiscent of the launch bay on Yavin 4, only much grander and even much more demanding of reverence. Ancient patterns were embossed on the stone, some images and others words in the most ancient languages of the galaxy. On a large protruding stone at the center of the arch was old Corellian. _From here, good men fly. Beneath their wings, the Force will guide._ Cassian and Bodhi turn their heads as they follow Jyn into the hangar, the wind was creating a low roar from inside, and it found harmony in the bustling sounds of droids and aliens attending to their ships.

"This is incredible!" Bodhi breathed, "I've never seen a more magnificent space station."

"Glad you like it."

The team's attention was brought to a smiling Maz walking briskly in their direction. She adjusted her large glasses before pointing to Cassian, "My Em-six is worried about you, Cassian Andor," she says.

Cassian shifts his weight, "She's already done a wonderful job putting me back together. Thank you for allowing me to heal in your sanctuary."

"If you are important to this girl," Maz juts a thumb towards Jyn, "You might be important to me."

Jyn's eyes widened slightly and she decided not to see if Cassian was looking at her. What was she supposed to make of that statement anyway?

"I need two pilots, and you two will do," the mistress continues, her tone suddenly snappy. "Follow me."

Jyn watches the two men walk ahead and she follows, looking around again to see if she will find any familiar faces.

"I only need a quick inspection done on this ship. If you're coming with me, you'll do well to know her in-and-outs anyway." Maz was practically calling over her shoulder.

Bodhi looks at Cassian, "Ready for your next mission?"

"More than you know," Cassian replies determinedly.

After the trio make their way past several large containers blocking their view of whatever lay ahead, they stop short at the sight of the ship before them. The large metal structure looked heavily built but streamlined, perfect for carrying cargo and making quick getaways and cutting through space at high speed travel. It was a dull gray ship, but it wasn't shy of its age. It looked even proud with streaks of cosmic blue and purple lining the hull and canons. Cassian surprises himself by speaking up first.

"That's a beautiful ship."

Maz laughs. "I like you already," she says. "This ship is my favorite, and I take her on all my adventures. The _Stranger's Fortune."_ The sentient turns to face her guests, a playful smile on her lips, "Others know her as the _Tua-Lu."_

Cassian looks back at Maz and his mind is buzzing with amusement. He does not say anything aloud, but he could at least entertain himself with thoughts of the ship that was on the same level of notoriety as a certain _Millennium Falcon;_ just with a lot more elegance credited to its owner.

* * *

 **A/N:** Sprinkling some not-so-obvious to really-obvious Easter Eggs. Think you can name all of them so far? Till next chapter, where I'm sure you all can see the adventure starting ;)


	7. Twin Suns

**A/N:** Has it been too long? Yes, absolutely. I'm still trying to find my rhythm in my new assignment and it's been wild. Thanks for keeping those Follows and Reviews coming! They were always pleasant surprises. On with the adventure!

* * *

"You mentioned that your last master had your memory wiped," says a boy with warm blue eyes and sandy blonde hair, looking over the desert horizon of Tatooine. "I guess I can't ask you what it might be like for _me_ to turn my back on all this. Everything's about to change."

A dusty R2 unit bleeps in return. The boy manages a small smile, "I kinda wish I could have my memory wiped, too."

"Luke!"

The boy—Luke Skywalker—turns to see the old hermit Ben Kenobi's hooded figure stepping from behind his cottage. "Your other droid has your speeder going."

"I'll be right there," Luke replies. "You go with Ben, R2. I'll follow." As the droid wheels off, Luke fixes his gaze again on the horizon. He can see the first sun beginning to cast faint rays of yellow into the sky. _I'll fix this Uncle Owen, Aunt Beru,_ he thinks, watching the sun as it continued its way upward, as if the day were to go on its regular course, and nothing had changed on the world Luke had known all his life. Its twin was about to follow. _I promise._

Luke finally takes a deep breath and walks to the front of the cottage to meet Ben, R2 and C3PO already in the speeder. Ben's arms were folded across his chest, eyes closed. If Luke didn't know any better, he would think the hermit was asleep. But after all the stories the man had shared last night, Luke knew that almost like a morning ritual, the hermit—the Jedi—was deep in prayer.

"Master Kenobi advises to head for Mos Eisley Spaceport straight away," 3PO chimes. Luke nods and hops into the speeder, "Sit tight, then."

* * *

Jyn had just stuffed a change of clothes into her travel pack when she found herself again holding Kay-Tu's data drive in her hands. It is the morning of their departure for Tatooine, and the group had barely an hour left to meet at the hangar. Bodhi had retrieved two more travel packs from the cargo shuttle and equipped them for himself and Cassian. Jyn imagined he was already helping prep the Tua-Lu for flight.

She barely notices the knock on her door and a familiar teasing-borderline-berating tone.

"Were you always a heavy packer?"

Jyn turns slowly, making a slight effort to hide the data drive behind her, "Thank you for the blaster, by the way."

"You owe me for that one. It was one of my favorite units."

" _Favorite?_ I didn't realize you packed with sentiment."

"There goes my image." Cassian makes a gesture to continue his way into the room. Jyn nods and watches him step close to her, gingerly circle and arm around her waist and reach for the data drive. "I saw it."

"Right," Jyn says quietly. "I just didn't want you to think of it too much."

Cassian tossed the data drive between his hands, "We'll leave it here."

"Are you sure? We can find anything on Mos Eisley. I'm sure it's absolutely teeming with Imperial forces—and droids."

"All the more reason to stay focused on the mission," Cassian said, more to himself than to his companion. "Kay-Tu will have to wait. He'd want that anyway. His data drive will be safest here."

Jyn says nothing and watches Cassian place the data drive under a pillow on her bed.

"Besides," he adds and almost winks, "I don't pack with sentiment."

Cassian makes his way to the door, hands customarily clasped behind his back. Without turning, he says, "Your pack looks too heavy!"

Jyn rolls her eyes.

* * *

The Tua-Lu was being pulled out of the hangar just as Jyn arrived, travel pack casually slung over her shoulder. Maz was nowhere in sight, but Cassian and Bodhi were escorting the ship at its flank.

"Nice of you to join us!" Bodhi calls with a wide grin on his face. He had acquired another pair of flight goggles and a fresh set of fatigues. He looked relieved to be free of his Imperial garb.

"You're looking like a rebel now more than ever," Jyn calls back with a smile. Cassian jogs forward and waves towards the viewport of the Tua-Lu, seemingly signaling the pilot inside. The ship comes to a stop and its cargo doors open with a burst of exhaust.

"After you," Cassian turns to Jyn. He follows her and Bodhi inside and to the upper deck where Maz stood behind Emmie at the control panel. She turns and smiles with glinting eyes. "All ready?"

The rebels nod in reply.

"Cassian, you will pilot alongside Emmie; Bodhi, to the tech station. Jyn, take the communications panel. All of you, buckle up. We'll go at full speed for Tatooine."

Everyone takes their positions promptly, buckling their seatbelts, securing their headsets, and engaging communication systems. Emmie begins switching controls, "Initiating flight system. Captain?"

Cassian switches controls on his side, hands sweeping expertly across the panel, "Wings lowering for take-off. Setting course towards Nymeve for orbital flight. Bodhi, thrusters to full power."

"We're at 50…70…80…"

Jyn holds her breath as the exchange of commands sends a surge of excitement down her spine. She brings her fingers around her kyber pendant and closes her eyes as the Tua-Lu's engines roar louder and louder. She feels the lift from the grassy plains of Takodana and the angular bend as the ship made its way towards orbit. Her mind starts to run clear with every step of the mission: _Make it to Mos Eisley. Find Saponza and bring him back._

In between those lines her subconscious reminds her to keep Cassian, who was still recovering from Scarif, safe.

Before she knew it, the Tua-Lu made the jump to hyperspace.

"Nicely done," Maz clapped, rising from her seat and motioning around the deck, "I can trust you men with my ship perhaps in another hundred years."

Jyn sees Cassian smiling to himself as he eased his headset off, leaving his dark hair ruffled. As if realizing he was being watched, he meets her eyes and raises his brow. Jyn shrugs and quickly looks away. "How much time do we have?"

"Not too long before we land," Maz replies. "I'm more worried about how much time we'll have _once_ we land."

"What do you mean?"

Bodhi turns in his seat. "Remember those bounty hunters I told you about? They set course before dawn this morning, apparently eager to get a head start. It's going to be a busy galaxy today."

"If there's a scramble for those 'blueprints', we can expect bounty hunters _everywhere,"_ Maz paces across the deck and looks directly at Jyn. "Even Mos Eisley will not be a place for the presumably dead."

"We'll stay low," Cassian says, earning attention from the others. "We'll have to split up and move with the crowd. If we go as a large group we'll only be asking for it. I suggest leaving Emmie here to keep the ship running and ready to fly—in case we have to abort."

Jyn clenches her fists at the probability of abandoning such a critical mission but the odds for now seemed least in their favor. She could only hope for better. "Fine. What's the split?"

"In pairs," Maz nods. "I'll take Bodhi with me to the landing bays. See if I can't recognize any of those mercenaries myself."

"I'll help you stay away from Imperial forces," Bodhi offers.

"That leaves Jyn and me to the public markets and indoor establishments," Cassian says. "We'll manage."

"Shall we start at Chalmun's Cantina?" Jyn asks.

"That would be the best place to start. We'll be lucky to find Saponza there. If not, then we'll head to the market stalls, starting with those selling spare parts."

Bodhi hesitates, "And if anything happens, where do we reconvene?"

"Back at the ship and no questions asked," Maz says with firmly. "And if you're caught in crossfire, stay low. Do not engage."

Just as everyone else murmured in response, Maz adds slowly, "Remember that the mission here is the mercenaries. If you are to come across whoever holds the said construction blueprints, you are not to aid. Not today. I won't have that sort of attention brought to my sanctuary."

Jyn feels her nails dig into her palms again. She feels Cassian eyeing her carefully, as if trying to read her thoughts about leaving the plans alone. It wouldn't surprise her if the Intelligence officer already sensed her disdain. Jyn glances at Bodhi and realizes that he too was deep in his own head. She forces herself to remember one thing about the Death Star plans: they _will_ bring danger to whoever holds them. Maz's castle was the only real sanctuary for those in need in the galaxy. Allowing its constituents and the rest of Takodana to fall victim to the superweapon, over a fight they were not prepared for, would do them the same injustice done to Jedha.

 _That, and I have a debt to pay_. Perhaps the Rebellion could wait one more day to secure the plans. Perhaps when they build their forces and when Saponza agrees to fight. "No one touches the Death Star plans," Jyn finally says with a low voice and she meets Maz's knowing gaze. "We stick to the mission we came here for, and we'll live to take another day for the Rebellion."

Maz nods solemnly and watches the younger girl quietly take her leave for the lower deck. The sentient turns to see Cassian, whose eyes were fixed after Jyn with an almost steely gaze. "You worry for her?"

"She's impulsive," he replies shortly. "A good fighter, but a danger even to herself."

"Does she _know_ how much you worry?" Maz asks sharply. Cassian, clearly taken aback, pulls his gaze to meet Maz's. He isn't given a chance to respond. "You should tell her."

"She's more efficient with less things on her mind," Cassian says. "I will not distract her."

"Things left unsaid," Maz speaks deliberately as she takes a step closer, "Are what distracts you humans most."

Cassian fixes his lips into a thin line. He tries to catch Bodhi's attention but the other pilot is suddenly busies himself over the tech station, tight-lipped and punching sequences with his headset clamped over his ears.

"I'm going to get myself some caf," he finally mutters and pushes himself off the co-pilot seat. Maz keeps her eyes fixed on the viewport with her chin high.

Cassian finds that the Tua-Lu is luxurious for a cargo ship. He looks into several holds before he finds Jyn's hunched figure in what looked like the galley. She was sitting in a far corner, feet flat on the floor with her elbows on her knees. Her head is bowed and Cassian is quick to notice that for once she isn't clutching her necklace. He approaches her quietly, almost cautiously, feeling ridiculous for thinking she can suddenly pounce on him like a Loth-cat.

"Jyn?"

To his surprise, Jyn almost jumps. She looks up at him with glassy eyes. "Have you been standing there long?"

"No," Cassian replies. "May I sit with you?"

Jyn nods and Cassian settles himself a comfortable distance from her side.

"One fighter with a sharp stick and nothing left to lose can take the day."

"What?' Jyn stares at Cassian, puzzled.

"I remember a day when I felt really pushed into a corner," Cassian says quietly. "I'd been badly wounded, lost my comlink, run out of gas cartridges, and the storm was too heavy to send out a flare. It was the first time I failed so terribly on a mission."

Jyn feels her characteristic defensive pout fix itself on her face. Suddenly, instead of the Cassian she'd come to know over the last two days, she realizes a Cassian who was a fatigued soldier from a time far behind Yavin 4. His eyes clouded over with dark recollection as he tilted his head towards her but kept his gaze fixed on the hull in front of them. "It was the only time I lost nearly all my men trying to fight for a cause that I believed in. Vato…he and I were supposed to drink to victory that night and talk about his girl from Red Squadron."

Jyn is aware of his pain.

"I never really understood why I was meant to survive. I drank hard back on the base. I lost myself for weeks. And when I was sent to meet informants…sometimes to silence them…the job was easy to do. Too easy." Cassian turns to look at Jyn and he keeps his voice steady, "I told myself I'd protect the next team I took on a suicide mission like that. And if I couldn't, I'd protect whatever and whoever is left."

"You don't have to protect _me,"_ Jyn says haltingly.

"And I don't know that already," Cassian smirks. "I want you to know that I have your back, Jyn."

Jyn's eyes soften and suddenly she is back on Yavin 4 at the hangar on the way to the cargo shuttle, and Cassian had just welcomed her home to the Rebellion.

"All the way," Cassian finishes. Jyn does not have to look down to see Cassian open his palm for her to take, a gesture she knew she could eventually get used to. She takes his hand and when she looks into Cassian's eyes, she knows that she doesn't have to say thank you.

* * *

Jyn presses the headset over her ears as she listens to the instructions from Mos Eisely Spaceport Control. The flight to Tatooine was indeed smooth and uneventful and the real work was about to begin.

"Docking Bay 36 and a small inspection team only for the _exterior_ of the ship," Jyn calls out.

Emmie flies the Tua-Lu on a gentle slope as Cassian locks the coordinates. "Easy on the thrusters now, Bodhi."

"Set wings to landing position," Emmie adds.

Jyn watches the pilots run sequence after sequence on their control panels, pushing switches and pulling gears. Through the viewport she can already make out the familiar dusty sight of the notorious spaceport and the burning desert hue that came with it.

" _Kestrel Dawn, deploying inspection team."_ The Tua-Lu's rusty comms panel is just enough to allow the voice of the controller through. Jyn presses the headset over her ears again

"Copy. We will wait for your signal on starboard side."

" _Copy."_

The Tua-Lu's engines seem to sigh as the ship touched the landing pad. Jyn hangs the headset just as Maz stood in the middle of the deck, "You have your assignments," she says. "Stay sharp and stay out of trouble. If any of you start a riot you'll hear it from me on the way back and you'll have some privacy in the brig."

With travel packs over their shoulders, the team of four steps down from the ship and onto the sandy docking bay. There is a brief exchange of nods before they split up, Maz and Bodhi blending into the crowd towards the larger hangars, Cassian and Jyn towards the public markets. Cassian particularly resists the urge to grab Jyn's arm and guide her to move with the crowd like they had on Jedha, but he realizes that his assistance was no longer required. Her hooded face turns to him as she motions slightly to another direction. Cassian speaks low in her ear, "I haven't been here in a while. It looks busier."

"Criminals here aren't the kind that would concern the Empire—smugglers, petty thieves, suppliers," Jyn replies, "There are no rules so people come in droves to do business."

"Incoming."

Cassian and Jyn dart into a stone archway as a handful of Stormtroopers march past. "What got into you back there?" demands a trooper from the flank.

"What are you talking about?"

"You just let that speeder through without inspection. There were _droids_ aboard, droids that matched the description on the mission log."

"They…weren't the droids…we were looking for."

Jyn looks at Cassian and sees that they share the same puzzled expression.

"The Death Star plans had better not have been with them-"

"Hey, quiet!"

Jyn's eyes widen as the Stormtroopers continue their way through the bustling spaceport, their voices fading. She grips Cassian's arm.

"I know, but we have to stick to the mission. I have no idea how those plans ended up in the hands of two droids but I'm sure they'll be safely kept until they finally reach the base."

"And they're _here!"_

"We'll make sense of everything soon," Cassian assures her, glancing up and down the street. "We have to keep going. More of those troopers will be put on alert. It's going to get interesting."

Jyn follows as Cassian makes his way into the crowd again. They reach Chalmun's Cantina in good time and walk among an unsuspecting crowd of creatures and humans, smugglers and activists, thieves and madmen drinking and laughing to a live all-Bith band playing Jizz on a far side fronting a small window. Jyn tugs her headscarf over her eyes and follows to the counter. "Describe him again."

Cassian takes a quick look over his shoulder before responding. "Middle-aged human male, white hair and likely a beard and fair skin. He has a healing scar on his left temple," he motions to the bartender and finishes, "If he hasn't ditched his rusty orange jacket yet, he'll be easy to spot."

"What are you having?" the bartender huffs, wiping his hands on a towel.

"Ottegan mead," Cassian answers.

"And for your lady friend?"

"Just a lager," he adds smoothly.

As the bartender disappears to get their drinks, Jyn folds her arms across her chest. "I can hold my drink, Captain Andor."

"I'm sure you can," Cassian replies with a crooked smile, "I'm just keeping your best interests in mind and saving the credits for a better occasion."

"A better occasion?" Jyn retorts. Cassian almost laughs and two large mugs are nearly slammed on the counter in front of him. He grabs the lager and hands it to Jyn. "To the back where it's a bit elevated," he says.

They just begin to turn when a loud crash comes from the other side of the U-counter

"DON'T SHOOT, DON'T SHOOT!" the frantic bartender yells and he dodges what looks like—"A lightsaber!" Jyn whispers excitedly but Cassian is already trying to pull her away from the mass of onlookers squeezing around them to see more of the 'fight'. Whoever is wielding the lightsaber manages to strike a man across the chest and mutilate an Aqualish's arm in one swift motion. The legendary weapon disappears in a heartbeat and only the anguished screams of its victims can be heard.

As if on cue, the band resumes playing and the cantina's patrons return to their activities. "That's something you don't see every day," Cassian jokes dryly and looks around the cantina. Jyn makes a quick mental note to mention the brief scene to Maz before she shakes her head clear and walks after Cassian to a table near the cellar door.

"How long should we give him?" she asks, seating herself across Cassian. He takes a long drink from his mug before replying, "Five minutes and we move."

Jyn scans the room intently. _Come on, Saponza. This is the perfect place to find recruits._ The sudden crackling of Cassian's comlink distracts her. She watches him reach for it in his jacket just as Bodhi's voice comes through, "Melshi, Kessel, checking your position."

"Chalmun's Cantina. No sign of the cargo in the last three minutes."

"Be careful. There are troopers amassing in your area. Do not attempt to leave."

Jyn's eyes grow steely and she turns her attention to the numbered windows of the cantina. She manages to glimpse white armor marching on the sand outside. "What brought them here?" she almost whispers into her own comlink. This time, Maz answers. "There is a repeated mention of two droids, one protocol and one astromech. It's beyond me what the Empire could possibly want with an odd couple like that."

Jyn is about to say something back when she feels Cassian nudge her foot. She sees him tighten his lips into a line and shake his head once.

"These patrons don't seem to know anything about it yet," Jyn says. "What's your position?"

"Possibly identified one of the merc's ships in Docking Bay 91. We're waiting around to see if the pilot will return."

Cassian almost growls in frustration, "Check in again in five, Sefla. We're wasting time here."

Bodhi's familiar stammer almost begs the rebel captain, "Melshi, I _strongly_ advise against moving out of there. You seem to have a wanted target in your vicinity. They might mistake you for being a conspirator if they see you leaving."

"Would you really have us _stay_ here surrounded by Imperial forces?"

Jyn cranes her neck to look for any sign of the strangely cloaked figure with the lightsaber. Her heartbeat quickens. "Cassian," she whispers, "The man with the lightsaber is gone."

Cassian nods, "Three guesses who the 'target' is," he says, grabbing his pack. "Stay close."

Just as the pair gets up and start for the front entrance, they are interrupted again by the deafening sound of a single blast shot.

"Karabast!" Cassian hisses and almost instinctively grabs Jyn to cover her head. He turns just in time to see another man in navy fatigues and leather vest throw a tip to the bartender before making his way out the front door of the cantina. "This place is attracting too much attention."

Jyn pulls her scarf over her eyes again and feels her heartbeat quicken as she follows Cassian towards the front of the cantina and out onto the glaring sunny spaceport. Nothing on Mos Eisley seemed unusual since they arrived, except for the large number of Imperial forces now drawing attention through the crowds. The sight of towering black security droids accompanying their charges does not escape Jyn.

Soon, the two rebels were being elbowed by a unit of Stormtroopers as they jogged by, one yelling indiscreetly into his comlink, "Docking Bay 94! There's a merc out to smuggle those droids and two men off this spaceport. Hold them down!"

Cassian grabs Jyn's arm and pulls her under another archway. He grabs his comlink, "Sefla! Sefla there're about three waves of troopers heading your direction. They're after Bay 94. Get out of there!"

Jyn feels for the blaster holstered against her hip. She hears Bodhi's hushed voice crackle over the comms and she senses his panic.

"Melshi, we're surrounded," he says. "We're lying low under the cargo hull of the ship here—"

Cassian's face fixes into a scowl. "Sefla? Sefla, can you read me?"

Jyn clenches her fists.

"Sefla!"

This time, it's Jyn's turn to grab Cassian's arm. "The troopers are busy. Time to try our luck here. We won't be permitted to fly anyway even if we all made it to the ship now."

Cassian grudgingly stuffs the comlink back in his collar and gives Jyn a sharp nod. She leads the way out of the arch and through the nearest crowd. Cassian steels himself against the unwelcome familiarity of his circumstance. His mind taunts him with images of Kafrene where it was black as night from mining activity and smelled of smoke and toxic fumes from rundown ships. _With the crowd, not against it._ All Intelligence training out the window and with it everything that would have pleased the Alliance, Cassian bumps into one body after another, barely keeping the top of Jyn's headscarf in sight.

'It's all falling apart!' _Tivik had been in a panic. Cassian could almost hear the man's heart pounding against the walls of his heaving chest._ 'Saw's right. There're spies everywhere!'

 _Before Cassian could demand him again to calm down, it was too late. He had already heard the footsteps coming before he heard their questioning authoritative tones._

'What's all this? _'_ _said the first Stormtrooper. Cassian had laughed uncomfortably, '_ Nothing, we—'

'Come on, let's see some scandocs.'

'Yeah, of course.' _As soon as Cassian had bent to retrieve his blaster, everything had gone too fast and he purposefully forced his mind to forget that Tivik, poor horrified Tivik, would not escape the Ring of Kafrene today, if at all._

'What have you done?' _the rebel partisan had nearly screeched, staring at the bodies of the two downed Stormtroopers. Cassian was already looking up at the array of pipes for his escape route._

'I'll never climb out of here with my arm!'

'Hey!' _Cassian had moved swiftly behind the informant and placed a reassuring hand on his back._ 'Calm down. Calm down. We'll be alright.'

 _And that was one of many sick lies Cassian knew he would never forgive himself for. He had felt how Tivik's body had gone from warm to rigid to dead. That was what rebels paid for freedom, or so he was told. There was no other option but to balance sacrifice and gain._

 _He only questioned if it was always worth it._

Another Stormtrooper dashes past and the flash of white brings Cassian back to Mos Eisley. He could still see Jyn. She had long since let go of his arm and occasionally glanced back to make sure he was still close. Each time, he looked straight into her eyes in reassurance.

Jyn dodged imperial troops as they came. They had their orders and looked as if they could care for nothing else but Docking Bay 94. If only Bodhi and Maz were not right in their path.

Suddenly, Jyn feels a strange sensation prickling the back of her neck. She stops and whirls around to look for Cassian, only to realize that her companion had disappeared.

 _Oh, no…_ Jyn starts to retrace her steps, craning her neck above the crowd. _I'll be damned!_ She feels the color drain from her face and tries the comms. Only static responds to her coded messages. Cursing under her breath, Jyn turns a corner and a hot wind picks up, sending sand to her mouth and eyes. Arm over her eyes, she darts behind a hanging tapestry and takes her comlink from her collar.

"Melshi? Sefla? Read back, please."

When nothing comes over the comlink, Jyn stuffs it back under her collar and growls. She steps away from the tapestry to head back towards the crowd when two burly men block her path. Jyn dips her chin and steadies herself, muscles tensing in preparation for combat.

"Gentlemen," she says.

"There'll be no need for that, rebel girl."

Jyn whirls around and finds a third man stepping from behind the tapestry. It only takes a moment to realize that he was the man they came here for, tall, well-built, grayish hair on a weathered face, and the characteristic scar on his temple. _Saponza._

"Nice jacket," she says casually.

"Rebels like you brought trouble on Jedha," Saponza replies sternly. From his tone, Jyn could already tell he was very angry, although he seemed not to mean harm. "That spy you're with, Andor, you want to see him again, do you?"

"Where have you taken him?" Jyn shoots back, sizing up the other man. Almost as she had expected, a thick black hood is forced over her head and a metal restraint is clamped over her wrists.

 _Bloody rebel partisans._

* * *

 **A/N:** And we close here until the next chapter. Until then, readers! Who's already enjoying the Rogue One DVD?!


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